Where Are You Roaming?
by LorelaiSquared
Summary: Sequel to "What's to Come is Still Unsure". Rose and Viola struggle to adjust to being in Rose's original universe while the Doctor deals with the ramifications of his actions at "Bowie Base One" on Mars.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** Finally, the sequel to "What's to Come is Still Unsure" has arrived! I am very pleased to finally be able to start posting this! I've already begun posting on one of my other sites so in order to catch up I'll be posting the prologue and the first three chapters about every two days over the next week. Following that, I shall post a new chapter every Friday. My apologies for the brevity of this first instalment, but the prologue really needed to stand alone.

Special thanks to my beta, **meremoon** for her invaluable feedback. Also a huge thank you to **rumpelsnorcack** for her constant support and cheerleading. A quick shout out to **earlgreytea68** for periodically letting me bounce ideas off of her.

**Prologue**

_I don't care who you are, the Time Lord victorious is wrong!_

The words rang through his mind, the impact of them hitting him more forcefully now than they had a moment before. His eyes widened in horror and he slumped against the TARDIS, needing it to support him as his knees weakened.

_What had he done?_

Slowly he turned, sensing the Ood before actually seeing it. And he knew.

"I've gone too far." His entire being lurched at the realization, and he sank to his knees in the cold, unforgiving snow.

He stared at the Ood, terrified. "Is this it? My death?"

The Ood merely blinked at him and he felt both of his hearts stop for an instant. He was done. It was over, all of it.

"Is it time?" His shout sounded desperate in the quiet of the night.

The Ood vanished then, and the Doctor stood, still reeling from the shock of it. With shaking hands he let himself into the TARDIS. For several long moments he stared at the console, lost in thought as the cloister bell began to toll.

He'd gone against everything he believed in, everything he'd stood for. And for what? Now he'd never see the people he loved again. He winced in pain as he thought of them. Of Jack whom he'd once abandoned. Of Rose whom he'd loved, lost, found and lost again. Of Martha whom he'd wronged in so many ways. Of Donna. Wonderful Donna who'd done such amazing things but didn't, couldn't ever remember...

"No!" he cried suddenly, springing into action.

He moved quickly, his fingers flying over gadgets, flicking and twirling buttons and knobs as he frantically programmed the TARDIS.

This wasn't the end. It couldn't be.

_He_ made the rules now and he wouldn't allow it.

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **As promised, here's the first chapter. Enjoy!

Special thanks to my beta, **meremoon** for her invaluable feedback. Also a huge thank you to **rumpelsnorcack** for her constant support and cheerleading. A quick shout out to **earlgreytea68** for periodically letting me bounce ideas off of her.

**Chapter 1**

Viola held her mother's hand tightly as they slowly walked through the darkened TARDIS to whatever awaited them on the other side.

Eyeing her mother carefully as they walked, she took note of the freshly dried tears, hollow eyes and forced smile. Viola had never seen her mother cry the way she had been a few minutes before and it worried her greatly. She looked better now, but she was still paler than Viola had ever seen her and she knew that her mum was desperately missing Dad.

_Dad._ The thought caused a now familiar pang in her chest and Viola looked down, trying to recompose her thoughts. She could grieve later. They were in a new place with a dead TARDIS and right now Mum needed her to be strong.

Resolved, Viola pulled the TARDIS doors open without any hesitation and stepped outside, tugging Rose after her.

As soon as they were away from the safety of the TARDIS, Viola instantly became aware of two things: one, there was an unfamiliar presence in her head, and two, something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"Viola?" Rose asked, her voice filled with concern as she stared down at her seven year old daughter.

Viola took a deep breath and swatted her hand aimlessly. "I'm fine."

Rose eyed her daughter speculatively. "No, you're not. You gasped. What was it?"

"It's nothing, really Mum. Don't worry." Viola started walking again, but her mother's firm touch 'round her wrist caused her to still.

"Viola."

Viola sighed dramatically. "I'm not sure what it is exactly." She shrugged. "I just have this feeling, like something is terribly, terribly wrong here."

Rose frowned. "Do you think we're in immediate danger?"

After closing her eyes and considering the question carefully, Viola shook her head. "No. I think we're safe..." Ignoring the growing feeling of unease in her abdomen, Viola tried to change the subject. "Where are we?"

Rose looked around them and began to laugh. Viola watched her mother, bewildered as she glanced around the wide courtyard at the rubbish littering the edges and the layers of graffiti on the wall. They were in some kind of estate and Viola couldn't imagine what was so funny about it. Her mother walked over to one of the walls, running her hands over the lettering of a large graffiti that said, "Bad Wolf". Her eyes darkened, sadness filling them again as Viola watched, confused and curious about what was going on. After a long moment, her mother swallowed hard and turned back to Viola, a terse smile on her face. "This is the Powell Estates, sweetheart."

"The one where you and Gran used to live?"

Rose nodded. "The one and only." She took Viola's hand and they started to walk further into the estate. "Come, I'll show you where our flat was."

xxxxx

Donna Noble opened her sleep-laden eyes and peered at the clock: 6:30 am. She groaned, stretched and contemplated going back to sleep before remembering that things were different now. She had a new job. She wasn't just any old temp from Chiswick anymore.

Smiling, Donna deftly flicked off the alarm clock and stretched again before rolling to the edge of the bed and locating her slippers. She shuffled into the darkened hallway, trying not to giggle as she heard the snores coming from her mother's room, and her granddad babbling to himself in his sleep. She switched on the light in the tiny, garishly pink bathroom and busied herself with her morning routine of cleaning her teeth before she stepped into the shower to wash.

As the hot water beat soothingly against her neck and shoulders, Donna felt her muscles begin to relax and she let her mind drift, thinking about the amazing changes that had taken place in her life in the past few months.

It had started soon after Granddad's friend had visited. The strange one in the brown striped suit who was far too skinny for her liking. Donna had continued to work for the temp agency as usual, but the jobs they sent her on had started to change. She was no longer required to merely answer phones and type. Instead she had been asked to help look into problems and unsolved mysteries. Most of the issues had been small at first, little things like twenty quid missing from the petty cash fund or unaccounted employee payroll.

It had taken her a while to get used to her new job description, but she had been pleasantly surprised to discover that not only did she enjoy it, she was also very good at it. So good, that she had recently found herself in a more permanent position in the office of an odd little shop called "Cord How To" which not only sold rope to overseas fishing companies and locals alike, but also offered in-house workshops on knot tying.

She had quickly discovered, however, that her role had very little to do with the shop itself and more to do with the behind the scenes private detective work that the owner of the business did on the side.

Donna reached for her mint-scented shampoo and massaged it into her scalp as her thoughts shifted to her boss. She had never actually met him (or her) and her boss was still very much an enigma to her. All their correspondence was done through email, and though all of the emails were signed "F O B," Donna doubted the letters had any connection to her boss's true identity. She had been tempted on more than one occasion to investigate the owner, but aside from one abysmal attempt to find out more, Donna had so far managed to keep her curiosity at bay.

Donna shivered as the water turned cold against her skin causing her thoughts to shift back to the present. She finished rinsing the remaining suds from her hair before turning off the taps and stepping out of the shower to dry off and get ready for another fascinating day of work.

xxxxx

The Doctor re-calibrated the TARDIS, his fingers moving over the console faster than necessary in an attempt to ignore the messages in his brain telling him that what he was doing, what he'd already done, was wrong. The cloister bell began to toll again and something about the sound spurred him on, causing him to dance even more frenetically around the controls. He pulled forcefully on a lever, causing the handle to fall off. He tossed it carelessly over his shoulder and used a small hammer to tap the remaining portion of the lever into place.

He checked the computer quickly to verify that his navigation was accurate as it was essential that his timing be exact for this particular mission. Noting that a few of the coordinates were slightly off, he located the mallet from below the console, bringing it down on the controls with a fully satisfying smash. He glanced at the computer again, grinning as the numbers snapped into the correct position. Satisfied that he'd succeeded in his navigation, the Doctor pressed a final button and the familiar sound of the TARDIS materializing filled the air.

He twirled with delight, clapping his hands as he barrelled toward the door. He was about to open it, when he remembered something crucial and dashed back to the console. A few quick flicks of his fingers later, the backup safety shields clicked into place and he breathed a sigh of relief. It wouldn't do to damage the TARDIS on this particular adventure.

A glance at the computer informed him that his window of time was fleeting and he sprang into action, bursting through the door just as Donna, in a younger version of his TARDIS, was reaching toward the jar that contained his glowing hand.

"DON'T touch it!" he shouted.

Alarmed, Donna's entire body shook as she startled and turned to face him, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. "Doctor?"

"Donna!" he exclaimed gleefully, pulling her up to him and engulfing her in a tight hug. He'd missed his best friend so much and it was even more wonderful than he'd imagined to hear her speak his name again. He'd hated knowing where she was but being unable to see her, hated himself for what he'd been forced to do to her. But no longer. It ended now. He'd arrived in time to save her from that fate.

Donna stared at him in disbelief. "Doctor? I don't understand. How-"

Her question was interrupted by an abrupt jerk as part of the TARDIS caught fire.

"No, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor exclaimed, releasing Donna so he could reach the console and switch the shields into place.

A second later the flames went out and the TARDIS stilled. Satisfied that they were safe once more, the Doctor turned back to Donna.

She was standing over the hand, her own arm outstretched again as she reached towards it.

"No! Donna, stop!" He bounded toward her, gently pinning her arms to her side.

She continued to stare at the hand, transfixed. "But the sound, in my head, it's like it's calling to me. I can't help it."

He spun her in his arms so that she was facing him. "Donna, listen to me. You have to resist. You can't touch it. If you do, if you do..." his voice broke and he winced at the memory of Donna protesting as he pressed his hands to her temples and took her thoughts, her memories, the person she'd become, away from her.

Donna's hand grazing his cheek brought him back to the present. "Doctor? What is it? I've never seen you so scared."

He swallowed and tried to mentally shake the image from his brain. It wasn't going to happen. Not now. This was why he'd come, he had to save Donna from that fate, and to do that he had to stop her from causing the meta-crisis. It was the only way. "Just trust me, Donna, you cannot touch that hand. Promise me."

Donna nodded. "I promise," she whispered.

"Thank you." He kissed her forehead quickly then grinned. "Right! We'd best get moving. Not much time left if we're going to save me and Rose." His brow furrowed. "Rose and me? No, Rose and I! Yes, that's it!"

Donna smiled at his musing and cut right to the point. "You?"

"It's a long story. Weeellll, not_ that _long. I'm from the future, I've come to help."

"You're from the future?" Donna gaped at him. "Just what the world needs, _emtwo/em _skinny gits in brown trousers." She paused and crossed her arms. "Hey, what about all that nonsense you love to spout about not crossing timelines? Doesn't you being here create a paradox?"

He astutely ignored the question as he returned to the console. "Let's get to work. Donna, here's what I need you to do..."

xxxxxx

Rose and Viola were nearly to the door of her old flat when Rose saw something that made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Mum, is that-?"

"Yes," Rose whispered, squeezing her daughter's hand. "It is."

The door to the flat was wide open and Jackie was standing just outside, her head turned as she shouted something back into the apartment. Rose gasped audibly when she heard her own voice respond. Somehow they had arrived in her past.

"Mum." Viola was tugging on her arm, frantically. "Mum, we have to go, it's a paradox, we're not supposed to be here."

"Is that what you felt earlier?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe. But we can talk about it down there, you can't see yourself. It's far too dangerous; it could change things."

Rose nodded and started to let Viola draw her away as she cast one last glance at her mother whom she'd thought she'd never see again. It was tempting to run to her and envelop her in a hug, but Rose knew that as much as it might make her feel better about the whole mess she'd found herself in, it would only serve to confuse Jackie and risk making their current situation worse.

They were nearly to the stairs when Rose froze again. There, standing beside her mother was the Doctor. Not the Doctor she'd been married to for all those years, not even the one she'd fought so hard to get back to, but her original Doctor, the one she'd met a million years before when she worked down at the shop. She had thought she'd never see him again, not with that face, and suddenly she realized just how much she'd missed him. Her hand slid out of Viola's and she took a step toward him before her daughter grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Mum, you can't," Viola hissed.

"But Viola, that's the Doctor, he might be able to help us!"

Viola looked up in surprise, then frowned. "But he looks nothing like Dad, did he regenerate?"

"No. We're in the past remember? That's the face he had when I first met him."

Viola peered at him curiously for a moment. "He has funny ears," she said finally. "But we can't talk to him."

"But -"

"Mum, didn't all those years with Dad teach you em_anything_/em?" Viola cried in exasperation. "We can't mess with the past. If we change anything it could affect the future. We can't talk to the Doctor until we find him in his current timeline."

Rose sighed, and watched her first Doctor for another moment before giving in. She knew her daughter was right, and if she was honest with herself, she knew that part of her desire to seek help from him was her conflicted emotions over the prospect of seeing the Doctor who looked like her husband again. Reluctantly, Rose turned to Viola. "Okay, let's go." Rose took her daughter's hand again and together they walked down the stairs.

Once they were a safe distance away, Rose began to consider their predicament. They were somehow in the past, with a dead TARDIS and no means to correct their timeline. In effect, they were stranded, and she didn't know what to do.

"We should go back to the TARDIS," Viola said confidently.

"But she's -" Rose couldn't even say the words. It hurt to much to think about what they'd lost.

"I know, but it's a safe place we can go until we figure out what to do next," Viola said pragmatically.

Knowing her daughter was right, Rose nodded and they began to walk back to it.

They had just reached it when the ground started to shudder, slowly at first, then faster and faster as bright lights flashed violently around them. Rose and Viola clung to each other, as they waited for it to stop, neither of them certain of what exactly was going on.

_TBC_


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Here's Chapter 2. There's one more to come before I am caught up and can start posting this on my usual schedule of every Friday.

Special thanks to my beta, **meremoon** for her invaluable feedback. Also a huge thank you to **rumpelsnorcack** for her constant support and cheerleading. A quick shout out to **earlgreytea68** for periodically letting me bounce ideas off of her.

**Chapter 2**

Donna entered her office, warm coffee in hand and promptly flicked on her computer before hanging up her jacket and flipping through the pile of telephone messages that had been left for her at the main counter. After returning several calls, most of them pertaining to the case she'd resolved the day before, she settled comfortably into her cushioned swivel chair to check her email.

Many of the messages appeared to be routine follow-ups to the cases she'd been working on, but there was one from FOB marked "urgent". Knowing that everything else could wait until later, Donna quickly opened the email from her boss.

She began to read the message, her frown deepening with each word she read. When she had reached the end, she scrolled back to the top, reading it again carefully, not wanting to miss any important details.

Leaning back in her chair, Donna's brow creased as she considered the new case her boss had just sent her. It was more complex than anything she'd been trusted with before, it was also the most disturbing, and quite possibly the most dangerous. Donna felt a tiny thrill at the thought, a fact which surprised her. She didn't usually go looking for danger, but in this instance... well, she certainly wanted to do what she could to help.

Donna read the email a third time, taking care to study each of the photographs that had been attached. In each picture there was a child who was missing, and as she gazed at each young face she felt an increase in her resolve to do everything she could to help. She pulled a slip of paper from the drawer in her desk, and after jotting down the addresses of where each of the children had disappeared from, she grabbed her jacket and purse and returned to her car. It was time to put the investigative skills that she'd learned to the test.

xxxxx

The Doctor leaned heavily against one of the coral pillars in the TARDIS and closed his eyes. It had been harder than he'd expected to say goodbye to Donna and Rose again. He'd tried to stay detached; to go in, prevent Donna from causing the meta-crisis, rescue everyone from Davros and the Daleks, and leave. But he hadn't expected to react the way he had. He'd been travelling alone for so long, he'd forgotten what it was like to have people fighting by his side – people he cared about. It had been wonderful to have that again, and already he missed it, missed them. But he had done what he'd come for. He'd saved Donna from what he'd had to do to her, and it was time for him to move on. Alone. Again.

He'd had no other choice, really. With his younger self there too, every moment he stayed increased the risk of paradox. He'd managed to avoid getting too close to his past self, mainly because he didn't want to have to get into complicated explanations. Plus, truth be told, he knew that the prior him would disapprove of what he was doing and he didn't want to endure the lecture. So instead, he quickly made his exit at his first opportunity, but he hadn't missed the disapproving look his double had given him as he departed.

It was being near Rose that haunted him most of all. It wasn't until he'd seen her again, lively beautiful Rose, that he really processed what he'd given up by leaving her on the beach with his meta-crisis. She was still as beautiful as ever, and even now, as he stood alone in the TARDIS, he yearned for her with every fibre of his being.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him and his lips turned upward into a beaming grin as he sprang into action, bouncing joyously around the console. He quickly programmed the TARDIS for yet another exact moment in time and braced himself as he shifted into the unstable area. It was time to do something for himself, something to finally stop the overwhelming ache of loneliness that had flowed through him for far too long. And this time, he'd hold onto it, and never let it go.

xxxxx

"Was that an Earthquake?" Viola wanted to know when everything finally went still.

Rose shook her head. "I don't think so. Look."

Viola turned and was surprised to see that their surroundings had changed. They were no longer in the courtyard of the Powell Estates. Instead they were on a cobbled street somewhere even further into the past.

"But that's not possible," Viola sputtered, "The laws of time strictly dictate that..."

Rose placed her hand on Viola's shoulder stopping her mid sentence. "I think it's safe to say that we're in new territory here. Didn't you sense that something was wrong when we first arrived? Maybe it's connected."

Viola scrunched up her face and concentrated on the strange presence in her mind. There was something there and it was something very not good, but she couldn't make any sense of it at all, it was a jumble of chaotic thoughts, sounds and emotions but nothing indicated to her that it was in any way connected to the strange time jump they'd just experienced.

She opened her eyes and looked up at her mum. "I can't tell. It's all just chaos right now."

Rose's expression instantly turned to one of concern. "Are you okay? It's not hurting you is it?"

In truth, it was causing the beginnings of a rather obnoxious headache, but Viola didn't want to worry her mother more than necessary so she simply said, "I'm fine."

Her mother eyed her speculatively for a few moments before seemingly deciding to let it go. "I guess we'd best figure out where and when we are."

Eager to focus on something other than the roaring pain in her head, Viola nodded her agreement and allowed her mother to lead her further into the street.

It was evident within seconds that their modern day clothing was grossly inappropriate. At least if one were to judge by the scathing glares they were receiving from passers by. The attire of those surrounding them was distinctly Elizabethan and Viola was surprised when her mother showed signs of recognition.

"You've been here before?"

"If my suspicions are correct, then yes. Do you remember the stories your dad used to tell about meeting Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth?"

Viola grinned. "How could I forget? He was always going on and on about how the Queen had him round for tea."

"Is _emthat/em _what he told you?" Rose snorted. "That's rather a different version than the one I remember."

Viola looked at her mother with interest. "Really?"

Rose nodded. "The way I remember it, your dad stole the Queen's brooch in order to prevent a Sontaran attack and got himself chased by her guards."

Viola giggled, amused by the image in her head of her Dad running from the queen's guard. After a moment, she sobered, realizing the implication of what her mother had just told her. "But why would Dad say..." she trailed off, not wanting to get upset with her Dad for lying to her. It wasn't right, given – she pushed the thought from her mind – it was too painful.

Rose stopped walking and knelt so she could look into her daughter's eyes properly. "Viola, sweetheart, don't be mad at him," she said softly.

"I'm not."

"You are. And I completely understand why, but you have to remember that your Dad adored you – he probably twisted things so that he looked better so that you wouldn't think poorly of him."

"He would do that?"

Rose chuckled. "Oh, yes. Has a bit of a vanity streak, your father."

They both froze, the present tense of her statement hanging in the air. Finally, as though by unspoken agreement, they held hands and began to walk in silence, each wrapped up in their own memories of the husband and father they'd so recently lost.

xxxxx

Donna parked her car along the side of the road before consulting her notes to ensure she was in the right place. Satisfied that she had the correct address, Donna slid out of the car and approached the building. This was the third place she'd been to that morning. The first two, a playground and a block of council flats had offered very little in the way of clues about the missing children. After interviewing people and scouring the area, the only new bit of information she'd learned was that one of the children, a girl of about six, called Carlie, had been wearing a red dress the day she'd vanished. An interesting coincidence considering that the other two missing children, an eight year old boy called Danny, and a four year old girl called Vanessa had also been reported as wearing red.

At first Donna had been excited to note the connection, but as it brought her no closer to figuring out what had actually happened to the children, her elation soon waned and she'd moved on to the next location.

Which was apparently the rundown-looking building that stood before her. It was a large building, wider than it was tall, and though there were several shop signs posted above the many doors, there was only one, a home electronics store, that was actually open. She walked toward it, noting the colourful graffiti that adorned the dull grey walls. She shivered. What had a child been doing in this neighbourhood?

A bell chimed as she stepped into the dingy shop. She could see no sign of the shop keeper, though a rustling in the back told her there was definitely someone else there. While she waited for the person to come forward, she looked around, noting the layers of dust that covered the old televisions and ancient electronics. Donna couldn't imagine that they made many sales.

When several minutes had passed and no one had emerged, Donna began to make her way down the narrow aisle of precariously stacked televisions, video and dvd players.

"Hullo!" she called. "Is anyone here?"

Someone grunted. Encouraged, Donna continued winding her way through to the back of the shop. After what seemed like ages, she finally stepped around a pile of boxes and found herself in a moderately sized office. There was a man sitting behind the desk with his arms folded casually behind his head and his feet crossed and propped on the desktop. He grinned broadly, as though he had been expecting her.

Donna stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening in shocked recognition as she croaked, "Prime Minister Saxon?"

_TBC_


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** The last of the quickly posted chapters. From now on I'll be posting a new chapter every Friday. (Which means you do get another chapter in about a day, then you have to wait.) There are 25 chapters in total so be prepared! :)

Special thanks to my beta, **meremoon** for her invaluable feedback. Also a huge thank you to **rumpelsnorcack** for her constant support and cheerleading. A quick shout out to **earlgreytea68** for periodically letting me bounce ideas off of her.

**Chapter 3**

The Doctor's carefully considered coordinates had failed him and his first attempt at his desired task had proven disastrous. After a high speed space chase in which he'd pushed the TARDIS to its limit and he'd narrowly escaped capture by a race of seven-headed aliens from the planet Shhhhhhhhhnapps, he'd ended up on an unnamed planet in the midst of the Antzitoptian Cluster.

He now found himself in the midst of a formal ceremony in which the native peoples of the planet were insisting that he be the one to give it a name. All he wanted to do was return to the TARDIS and contemplate a back-up plan, but until he named the planet, he was stuck.

After a moment of expectant silence, the Doctor said the first thing that came to mind, "Allison is a lovely name, don't you think? I've always thought so anyway, nice, simple earth name. Allison." He said it slowly, letting the "l's" roll off his tongue. "Goes nicely, with Allons-y."

"Allison," the peoples of the planet echoed. "Allison." Soon the entire hall was chanting the name, the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd increasing with every word.

"You like it then?" the Doctor asked hopefully.

The leader of the planet nodded and bowed before him respectfully. "Thank you, Doctor."

He grinned. "My pleasure."

The leader turned and silenced his subjects. "Today has been a day that is greater than all others, because today our planet has finally been given a proper name. Henceforth on this day, all inhabitants of Allison will celebrate the 'Feast of the Doctor'!" The crowd broke into gleeful cheers as the leader returned his attention to the Doctor.

"You didn't have to do that."

"You have done us a great service in solving a naming dispute that has spanned centuries. It is the least we could do."

"Well, thank you, glad I could help." The Doctor stood and gestured to the door where the TARDIS was being kept. "And now, I'm afraid I must be on my way."

The leader immediately gestured for guards to see the Doctor out. "Oh, yes. Of course. Do come visit us again. You will always be welcome on Allison, Doctor."

"Thank you." He turned and waved to the crowd. "Allons-y Allison!" he shouted gleefully before escaping to the safety and quiet of the TARDIS.

Once there, he quickly shifted himself into the vortex then plopped himself cross-legged on the grated floor, fiddling a bit with some wires as he started to contemplate alternatives.

**xxxxx**

Rose and Viola continued to walk in silence, hand in hand. They wove their way down narrow cobbled streets, past quaint houses made of brick and stone, and through a busy street market where vendors were selling everything from fruit, to freshly butchered meat. Eventually they reached the familiar Thames river and they strolled along it pleasantly, much as they had done sometimes with Jackie and Tony back in their other universe. Viola marvelled over the differences, particularly in how narrow the paths were and how different the view was to their own time.

When they came upon the Globe Theatre, Viola's eyes widened and she tugged on her mum's hand. "Mum, it's the theatre, it's em_his/em_ theatre, the Globe!"

Rose laughed lightly, delighted at her daughter's excitement over anything connected to her favourite playwright. At five, when Viola first asked about the origins of her name, she had spent hours in the library devouring every play Shakespeare had ever written. She'd started with em_Twelfth Night_ /em of course, and from there had worked her way through first the comedies, then the histories and finally the tragedies. She'd then gone on to read every history book she could find on the famous bard and had spent weeks afterward quizzing her parents with dozens of obscure Shakespeare facts.

Rose watched her daughter now as her eyes sparkled with glee at the sight of theatre and she wondered just what her reaction would be if she actually met the man himself. She let Viola drag her over to the theatre and listened with great patience and her daughter began to pepper her with facts. "This has to be the original theatre, Mum, after it was moved across the river but before it burnt down in 1613. See how it's right on the bank of the river? The Thames was wider in this century, they've filled it in to make a walkway in our time. Oh, and look at it, it's so clean and new looking. Can we go inside Mum? Can we?"

"Of course we can."

Viola squealed with glee and raced toward the nearest open door. Rose followed several paces behind, watching her daughter with great amusement. It was times like this when she was most grateful for the precious gift she'd been given in her daughter.

xxxxx

Donna stood completely frozen as she continued to gape at the man behind the desk, her mind whirring with a confused muddle of questions. What was the former prime minister doing in a dive like this? Did he know anything about the missing children? Why was he still so calm and relaxed?

Prime Minister Saxon slowly lowered his feet from the desk and sat forward so he could stand. He offered Donna his hand, and, not knowing what else to do, Donna accepted it. As he held her hand more firmly that was comfortable, he finally spoke.

"Rose Tyler, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"But -" Donna's head was starting to spin, that name sounded so familiar, why did she know that name?

"How do I know who you are?" He pulled her toward him and whispered into her ear in what Donna was sure he thought was a seductive voice. "I'm clever."

Donna abruptly pulled her hand away and took a step back. She didn't know what exactly was going onbut he seemed to think she was someone else. Someone named, Rose Tyler. Why did that name sound so familiar?

"Mr. Saxon, I think there's been a mistake, I'm -"

"Oh, there's no mistake, I knew you'd come." He grinned and returned to his chair. This time he sat with his legs crossedlike a small child.

"No, but you don't understand."

"Oh, but I do." He said confidently, flashing a broad grin. "I believe you're looking for some missing children."

Donna gaped at him. How did he know that? Unless he was the one who took them. But what would a former Prime Minister want with three young children? "Well, yes, but -"

"You humans really are _remarkably_ dim sometimes."

"Who do you think you're calling dim, you poxy cock-up of a pencil pusher? 'You humans?'" Donna frowned. "And _emyou're/em _calling _emme/em _dim?"

"Oh, please, don't play dumb with me Miss Tyler, you act as though you've never seen a Time Lord before, and we both know that's not true."

"A Time Lord? What-" Searing pain suddenly shot through Donna's head and she cried out, falling to her knees. A wave of nausea hit her and she swallowed hard, trying to regain control. What was happening to her?

When she was able to look up again, the Prime Minister was tapping his fingers and looking bored.

"Very theatrical, but hardly the best performance I've seen." He stood again, walking around the desk to tower over her. "My patience is beginning to wane, Miss Tyler. Your theatrics are delaying my little game."

"But, sir," Donna tried as she rose slowly to her feet. "I'm _not_ Rose Tyler."

The Prime Minister froze, and a dash of anger filled his eyes, sending and instant chill down Donna's back. "That's impossible! I laid everything out perfectly. Only someone who travelled with him, would be able to ..." He looked at her more closely and after a moment he was grinning again. "Oh, but you have, haven't you?" He placed his hand on her cheek and leaned in, grinning. "Oh, he did manage to get around, didn't he? This is going to be even more fun than I'd thought."

"I've what?" Donna snapped impatiently, pushing him away from her. Her head was pounding more fiercely now and all she wanted was to get out of there.

Prime Minister Saxon rested casually against his desk and crossed his arms loosely, "Travelled with him."

"With who?"

"The Doctor."

At his words, pain more intense than she'd ever felt in her life ripped through her head. Donna collapsed involuntarily, her body hitting the ground with a dull thud before her eyes rolled back and everything went dark.

**xxxxx**

It took some rather complex and tedious fiddling, but the Doctor had finally managed to get the TARDIS to the exact moment in time and space that he'd wanted.

He paused as he reached the door, counting to ten in his head as he took a deep breath and braced himself for what was to come. His hand shook with nervous anticipation as he turned the lock. He only had one shot at this, and if his attempt failed, there'd be no second chances. Another deep breath steadied him and he thrust both TARDIS doors open.

The view that met him was pure chaos, and yet he smiled, internally congratulating himself on his spectacularly perfect timing. His vision was blurred by the dark cloud-like air that swirled before him, but he'd expected that and ignored it, instead focusing on what was happening in the white room beyond. He could see himself, desperate and anxious as Rose tried to re-lock the lever into place.

His gaze shifted and he zeroed in on Rose as her hand slipped and she soared toward the Void; toward him. His past self was screaming her name, the anguish of the sound echoing within his own mind as he watched one of the most horrific events of his life happen again. He shook the thoughts and emotions away, needing to focus if he was going to be successful with stopping it. It was nearly time.

The sonic screwdriver that he held in his hand glowed blue as he pressed the button and the TARDIS materialized through the Void right next to Pete.

The Doctor nodded to him in acknowledgement before stepping forward, his arms outstretched to catch her. A second later Rose was clinging to him, her arms wound tightly around his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder. He swallowed hard, trying to ignore the barrage of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Instead he held her tightly and looked back at the two perplexed men who were gaping at him in shock.

Pete recovered first, his face breaking into a brief smile before waving to both versions of the Doctor. He looked worried when, a few seconds later, he pressed the yellow button around his neck and disappeared back into his own world. The Doctor winced, thinking of the rather frantic and upset Jackie that Pete would have to console on the other end. He didn't envy Pete at all.

A shout roused him from his thoughts and he turned his attention to his past self. He was gesticulating broadly, and the Doctor knew what he meant. The Void was closing. He had to get the TARDIS out now, or they'd be crushed. He quickly saluted before pressing the button on the sonic screwdriver, which, thanks to some earlier jiggery-pokery, was connected to the console. A second later, the view of himself alone in the Torchwood One offices vanished and they were safe in the vortex.

He glanced down at the woman in his arms, hardly believing that she was really there. After all this time, all the torment and anguish of the past few years, he had finally done it. He'd saved Rose.

_TBC_


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **I'm officially caught up! From next Friday I will be posting weekly every Friday!

Special thanks to my beta, **meremoon** for her invaluable feedback. Also a huge thank you to **rumpelsnorcack** for her constant support and cheerleading. A quick shout out to **earlgreytea68** for periodically letting me bounce ideas off of her.

**Chapter 4**

Rose entered the Globe theatre to see her daughter already engaged in a lively conversation with someone. She smiled, pausing for a moment to revel in the fact that her daughter always had such an easy time interacting with people no matter where they went – a trait she'd inherited from her father. Sadness twinged at Rose's heart as she thought of her husband and she fought the tears that threatened.

Eager to distract herself, Rose approached Viola and the stranger only to gasp audibly when she realized that the person wasn't a stranger after all.

The man looked up, and beamed at her. "Ah, Rose. I should have known." He stepped forward, surprising her as he engulfed her in a warm hug before pulling back and nodding toward Viola. "She's yours I presume?"

Rose laughed. "How did you guess?"

"She has your eyes, and the Doctor's enthusiasm!" Shakespeare craned his neck, peering behind her. "Where is that fine husband of yours? Is he with you?"

Rose shook her head and looked away so he wouldn't see her brushing away tears. Viola suddenly emerged beside her, wrapping her small fingers around her hand and squeezing gently.

Shakespeare seemed to sense that something was amiss and Rose was eternally grateful when he quickly brushed the topic aside, his intuition astute as always. "Well then, I shall have to take good care of ye!" he said jovially. He offered Rose his arm and reached for Viola's hand. The three of them walked toward the stage in companionable silence.

When they reached the stage, Viola looked up at him, her expression pensive. "Are you _really_ Shakespeare?"

Shakespeare threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Yes, my child. So long as nothing has changed since I awoke this morning, I am William Shakespeare. You may call me, Will."

Viola stared at him, her eyes wide as she took in her idol properly. "Wow," she whispered causing both Rose and Shakespeare to laugh.

Shakespeare gestured to a small group of people gathered on the stage. "We were about to decide which of my plays to perform this week. Would you like to join us?"

"Oh yes!" Viola shouted, jumping up and down excitedly. Rose shot her a warning glance and Viola promptly stopped jumping. "Sorry," she said, at a much quieter volume. "I meant to say, yes, please!"

"Well then, shall we?" Shakespeare took Rose's arm and Viola's hand again and led them onto the stage.

The meeting basically consisted of everyone standing around and talking over each other as they voiced their opinions. The constant chatter was beginning to give Rose a headache, so she sat on the sidelines and watched with mild amusement as her daughter managed to convince them that should perform _emTwelfth Night/em_.

After the group dispersed, Shakespeare bent down and swooped Viola up into the air. "Your choice wouldn't have anything to do with your name, would it?" he teased.

Viola giggled and kicked her dangling legs. "Hey! Put me down!"

"Not until you confess."

Viola gave him her best eye-roll and sighed so over-dramatically, that Rose had to bite her lip to refrain from laughing. "Maybe, a little," she finally mumbled.

"Ha!" he stated, spinning her around. "I knew it."

When he finally put her back on the ground, Viola put her hands on her hips defensively. "That wasn't the _only_ reason."

"It wasn't?" Shakespeare looked surprised.

"Of course not, I may only be seven, but I am not that fickle. I picked it because it's brilliant." And with that, Viola launched into a long winded rant on all the reasons em_Twelfth Night /em _was so spectacular.

xxxx

A moan filled the air and Donna's eyes flickered open then quickly shut again. There was a dull, persistent ache around her temples and her entire body was sore. The moan came again and this time Donna realized it was coming from her own lips.

She opened her eyes a second time and tried to sit up. A sudden wave of intense nausea hit her and she promptly laid back down, her head bouncing slightly on the fluffy pillow. Slowly Donna regained her equilibrium and felt well enough to try again to take stock of her surroundings and to remember what had happened. She started with her eyes closed, focusing on the things she could feel. She was on some kind of cot. It couldn't be a very new one, since there was a spring trying to burrow its way into her back. She shifted away from it, noting that the pillow that cushioned her head smelled musty and stale.

Next, she focused on the sounds around her. There was some kind of popular music playing in the distance, something with one of those obnoxious beats that drove her crazy. She groaned and shifted her attention to the voices she could hear chattering nearby. They were young, excited voices, almost like -

"Children!" Donna exclaimed aloud, sitting upright quickly and immediately regretting it. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she breathed and willed the pain to cease. Once it had calmed a little, she was able to ignore the throbbing in her head as a barrage of details rushed into her mind. The case, the missing children, the grubby electronics store... things were a bit muddled after that, but Donna didn't care. It was the children she'd come for and it seemed she'd found them. She looked around the room, disappointed to discover that she was alone.

It was a dark and tiny room, no bigger than a cupboard really. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls in spots, displaying patches of older patterns or bare wall, and rusty nails stuck out here and there. Apart from the small bed she was on, the room was completely empty.

She saw that the door was slightly ajar. Immediately she made a move towards it, but before she could touch it, she saw it move on its own. She heard a small voice shout, "She's awake!"

This was followed by the patter of little feet and a second later the door burst open and three young children came tumbling through the opening, tripping over each other. Donna recognized them instantly from the pictures she'd seen earlier, and she felt herself relax a little. The children appeared to be safe.

They were all talking at the same time, so quickly that nothing they were saying was comprehensible. Finally, not able to take it any longer, Donna looked at them sternly and said sharply, "Oi! One at a time please!"

"You play with us?" the youngest one, asked her, taking Donna's hand in her much smaller one.

"Play?" Donna stared at her, confused. Shouldn't the children be scared? Or at least asking about their families?

The eldest child, a boy, stepped forward. "I'm Danny. Sorry about Vanessa," he gestured toward the girl who was still tugging on Donna's arm. "She's bored and was really hoping you'd play with her – Carlie and I tired of "Go Fish" about three days ago."

The other girl, Carlie, gave Danny an annoyed look and heaved a sigh. "We have more important things to worry about than play, Danny." She met Donna's eyes seriously. "You're going to get us out of here, right?"

"Oh, I don't think so," said a deep voice from the doorway. All three children jumped and scampered onto the bed, hiding behind Donna as the Prime Minister stepped into the room.

"I see you're awake, Miss Noble." He grinned at the surprised expression on her face. "Oh, yes, I know exactly who you are now, and you're not going anywhere."

Donna felt her pulse rushing as he approached the bed leeringly. The children clung to her, and she could feel their little bodies shuddering in terror. Determined to protect them, Donna rose to her feet, ready to face Mr. Saxon and find a way out. But the moment she stood, the ground beneath her began to shudder and shake. Donna felt the air constrict around her. She looked back at the children who were staring at her in horror. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the shaking stopped, and the tiny cupboard, the children and the Prime Minister disappeared.

xxxxx

For a moment, neither Rose nor the Doctor spoke. They stood in the TARDIS, Rose panting as she recovered from what she had been certain would be her death. Finally, she looked up at the Doctor, her eyes awash with questions.

"Doctor, how..."

He placed his index finger over her lips. "Shhhhh," he whispered. "It's all over now, no use in dwelling on the how's and what's. You're safe now. It's best we focus on the future."

Rose frowned. "But -"

"It doesn't matter," he insisted. "You're safe, I'm here, we're together again. Everything is just as it should be." He wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in a warm hug. For a moment she started to resist, and he could see more questions forming on her lips, but much to his relief, she seemed to decide to let it go, surrendering instead to the embrace. She rested her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his back, squeezing him tightly.

After several moments he realized that his shirt was damp from where her head rested and he felt uncomfortably aware that she was crying.

"Rose," he murmured, "Rose, it's all right."

"No, it's not all right," she said hoarsely, her words muffled against his chest. "When I... when I slipped, I thought that was it; that I was going to be swallowed by the Void. I thought that I'd lose you Doctor, that we'd be separated. I couldn't bear that."

"Shhhh," he said again, smoothing her hair with his hand.

Rose took a heaving breath and pulled away, looking up at him with wide, watery eyes. Her cheeks were streaked with black marks from her running makeup and yet the Doctor thought she had never looked more beautiful. "Doctor, I... you should know... I... I love you."

The Doctor smiled, remembering another time she'd said those words. A time on a windy beach when he couldn't bring himself to say them back, when he couldn't touch her, couldn't show her how he felt. This was it, his second chance. He could fix it now, could make it right.

He cupped her cheek gently, his thumb wiping the tears from her eyes. "Oh, Rose," he murmured. "I love you, too. I have for a long time."

Her eyes widened in shock, and he smiled, knowing that she hadn't expected him to say the words back. He knew that in the past he wouldn't have, couldn't have. But everything was different now. He'd lost her twice and he wasn't going to let it happen again. The overwhelming ache of sadness and loneliness that he'd felt since the fateful day when he'd left her on the beach with his doppelganger and returned Donna to her family finally lifted and his hearts filled with so much happiness he felt he would burst.

They stared at each other, their eyes locked together as heavy emotions filled the air and things shifted between them forever. Rose moved closer, licking her lips nervously as she raised her mouth toward his. The Doctor leaned down until his mouth met hers. And then, finally, after years of wishing and yearning and wanting, he kissed Rose Tyler, and the world shook, just as he'd always known it would.

_TBC_


	6. Chapter 5

Rose and Viola were standing to the side of the stage, watching the dress rehearsal from _emTwelfth Night/em_ when it happened again. This time, Viola heard it before she felt it, and the sound was accompanied by a sharp pain in her head. There was a sudden crackle in the air and then the flashing lights came and the ground beneath her feet became incredibly unsteady. She groped for Rose, clinging to her as they rode out the shaking and the pain in her head intensified. It was worse than it had been the first time and when everything went still again Viola was unsurprised to note that they had once again shifted time and location.

Viola winced as she opened her eyes. Her brain was ringing with the wrongness of these sudden time jumps, and yet she wasn't exactly sure why. All she knew was that whatever was going on was going to have disastrous consequences. Not wanting to worry her mother, Viola took a deep breath, willing herself to overcome the pain so she could focus on their surroundings.

She bent down and scooped up a handful of the purple dirt that lay beneath their feet. Rose watched, half appalled as she sniffed the substance and placed a grain on her tongue. She recognized the taste immediately and she quickly brushed the purple dirt off her hands and stood tall, grinning.

"We're on Gopigipi!" she pronounced triumphantly.

"Gopigipi? Isn't that the planet you and your father used to go on about? The one with the sand that tastes like cotton candy?"

Viola nodded. "Yes! That one! Isn't it brilliant?" she exclaimed, hoping her mother wouldn't detect false enthusiasm in her voice. "I've always wanted to come here. Dad used to tell me about how all the buildings were made out of melted purple sugar. Isn't that incredible? A whole town made of cotton candy." She pointed to something in the distance. "Look, that must be it. It's purple, Mum, the whole planet is purple! How cool is that?"

Rose laughed. "It's very cool, Viola."

Viola looked at her mother oddly for a moment. "You're humouring me, aren't you?"

"Would I do that?"

"Yes." Viola answered promptly. "But that's okay. _emI/em_ know how cool it is, so it's fine. Race you?"

"Of course!" Rose bent her knees. "Ready? Set? Go?"

And with that, they both raced toward the purple city.

#

The Doctor had never been happier. It had been almost a week since he'd rescued Rose from the Void and he was having the time of his life. He'd taken her to at least a dozen new places already – everywhere from Elizabethan London to the far off planet of Gopigipi to London 2095. It had been like old times, the two of them holding hands and running from the inevitable trouble that seemed to follow them everywhere. Amid the running and adventures, they spent hours talking, and growing closer, something the Doctor was most pleased with. It had been centuries since he'd opened up and allowed anyone to be this close to him before and he was finding it refreshing.

Unfortunately, his happiness was increasingly threatened by the growing sense of foreboding that filled his head. A small part of him was screaming at him for messing with the timelines, and for being selfish. That part of him warned of repercussions and dire consequences and yet the Doctor deliberately ignored this. He'd suffered long enough. For years he had succumbed to loneliness, putting the needs of others ahead of his own, sacrificing everything for the good of all. It was time the universe gave something back to him and he had decided that that something should be Rose.

Thankfully Rose hadn't seemed to sense that anything was amiss and the Doctor sincerely hoped that it would stay that way. He loved being with her, loved spending time with her, loved hearing her ringing laugh, loved kissing her and holding her in his arms, much like he was doing now.

They were curled up on the sofa in the library, their legs intertwined as Rose read a book they'd picked up at a market on Eeeelinhth and he attempted to read his favourite Dickensian classic. Rose shifted, tilting her neck to see him better.

"This book is fascinating!" she informed him. "I love that the TARDIS makes it possible for me to read things from other planets. Eeeelinhth fiction is quite entertaining."

The Doctor leaned forward and kissed her nose lightly. "I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"I am." Rose smiled, shifting her body so that she was facing him. She was now lying atop him and the Doctor was finding the position incredibly distracting. "Thank you."

Before he could say another word, she kissed him deeply and all coherent thought fled.

#

When they reached the purple town, Rose and Viola discovered that it was inhabited by miniature blue creatures called Ipigogi. Viola managed to talk one of the Ipigogi into giving them a tour of the town and they soon found themselves in a small, intricate building filled with narrow corridors and winding staircases.

Eventually they came to a large open room filled with elaborate looking machines with multi-coloured screens that blipped and bleeped with all kinds of information.

"What are those for?" Rose asked their tour guide.

"Oh! They're wonderful, aren't they?" He asked. "They're called STARGAL's. They give us all kinds of important information that we need in order to keep track of stars in the universe. We're responsible for star maintenance in a total of twelve galaxies, so each machine is tuned into a different galaxy."

"Wow," Viola whispered, running her hands over the dials of one of the machines. "That's a lot of stars."

Their guide nodded. "Oh yes, it is. We're the largest centre this side of the Milky Way. Anyone here can tell you anything about any star - such as when the star was born, what it's called on different planets, by different species and when the star is likely to turn into a supernova." He pointed to a large splotch on one of the screens. "Watch this one here. It's going to explode any second now."

Rose and Viola both gathered around the screen, transfixed. As they watched, the splotch grew bigger and bigger until it had nearly filled the whole screen. Then, just as it began to burst in a flash of brilliant colour, Rose felt a tug in her abdomen and she lurched forward, gripping the STARGAL machine with her hands as she tried to focus on staying where she was. It was no use though, and a second later Rose felt her feet leave the ground as she and Viola were once again transported to another time and place.

#

After nearly two wonderful weeks travelling with Rose again, everything went horribly wrong. The Doctor had attempted to land on Minsk – the planet, not the city, and instead they had ended up on a barren, cold wasteland in the far reaches of the universe with a TARDIS that was refusing to work. At first it had been fine and they'd treated it as they did all their adventures, holding hands and exploring, excited to see what awaited them.

Initially, they found very little on the planet. The only signs of life were some dried trees that stuck out of the sand, their branches gnarled and twisted together as though something horrid had happened to them. It was as the Doctor bent down to inspect one of the trees that the attack came. Primitive arrows came soaring at them seemingly out of nowhere. Panicked, the Doctor dove for Rose, pinning her to the ground with his body as the twang of bows being rapidly fired continued to fill the air.

The Doctor looked down at Rose. Under different circumstances, their current position would have been distracting, but right now, all he could think about was the need to get Rose away from there safely. He glanced over his shoulder at the TARDIS, mentally calculating the distance and deliberating on whether it would be safe to run for it. Deciding it was too far, the Doctor scanned the area, trying to spot somewhere they could hide, but he could see nothing other than the shower of arrows pummelling toward them.

An arrow whizzed past Rose's face and they both winced as it embedded itself in the sand above her head. Knowing he had no other choice, the Doctor whispered a quick instruction in Rose's ear and together they began to slither slowly toward the TARDIS, careful to stay flush to the ground.

The arrows followed them and though he still couldn't see anything, the Doctor sensed that their attackers were getting closer. He began to move faster, with Rose just behind him. As they moved, the sand swirled around them, as though it too was fleeing the attack.

When he was nearly to the TARDIS, the Doctor looked back to see how Rose was getting on. His hearts stopped. The shots had ceased and she was gone.

#

It was raining and the loud, busy street was making Viola's headache worse. A large, red double decker bus passed them, splashing water from a massive puddle onto the foot path and soaking them in the process.

Rose swore and Viola turned to her mother, trying not to laugh at the expression on her face as she stood there, dripping.

"It's not funny," she muttered.

Viola bit her lip and shook her head. "I didn't say it was."

"You're thinking it," Rose accused.

Deciding it was time to change the subject, Viola gestured to the street. "So where do you think we are now?"

"Did you not notice the big red bus? We're still in London."

Viola sighed. "Well, yes. That's not what I meant. Are we in the past? Present? Future?"

"You're the Time Lord, shouldn't you know?"

In truth, Viola knew that she should, but something was blocking that part of her consciousness. Her brain was beyond muddled at the moment and it terrified her, but she didn't want to worry Rose with the truth so instead she said, "Well, of _emcourse/em_ I know, I'm just curious what you think."

Rose looked at her doubtfully but shrugged and said, "I think we're in the near future. The buses and buildings all look like they would in my time, but the adverts are for things I'm not familiar with. But they're all things that still seem plausible, so we can't be that far in the future. How'd I do?"

Viola quickly scanned the area. Her eyes landed on a news agents and a quick glance gave her the information that she needed. "Not bad, Mum. It's actually 2012."

Rose grinned. "I've been here before."

"You have?"

"Yeah. The Doctor brought me to the Olympics before... well, before everything changed."

The rain was still pelting down and they started to walk down the street toward a covered shop awning.

"Was it fun?"

"It was -" Rose suddenly gasped and clutched her abdomen. Viola watched in horror as her mother's face contorted in pain.

"Mum? Mum? What is it? What's wrong?"

Rose didn't answer. She was on her knees now, oblivious to the sheets of water that were pouring down around her. Her face was pale and ashen and her entire body was shaking.

Terrified, Viola knelt beside her mother, trying desperately to figure out what was wrong. "Mum, Mum! Talk to me."

Rose moaned, then suddenly screamed, a horrific sound filled with pain and anguish. People had started to gather around them, but Viola barely noticed. She didn't care. Right now her mum was in trouble and she was all that mattered.

Trying not to panic, Viola ran her hand over her mother's face, feeling her forehead. Her skin was clammy and she was obviously feverish. She found her mother's hand, which still clutched her abdomen, and stroked it. "It's okay, Mum. It'll all be okay."

Suddenly Viola's fingers hit something wet and sticky on her mother's abdomen and she froze. Both hearts were racing as she slowly looked down, her eyes confirming the worst – it was blood.


	7. Chapter 6

The Doctor was on his feet in seconds. He raced back to the spot where Rose had been only moments before. The imprint of her body was still visible in the sand, but there was no sign of her. A quick scan of the area revealed that there hadn't been a struggle, so what had happened?

A sudden noise caused the Doctor to stop in his tracks. He closed his eyes, listening carefully and cautiously walked toward the sound. He'd barely taken five steps before he hit something hard and solid. Opening his eyes, he was puzzled to see nothing in front of him. He reached out a hand and sure enough he felt something. Something stone-like.

Random information inside his head clicked into place and did nothing to ease his fears. He knew where they were now and it wasn't good. It wasn't good at all. He had to hurry up, get Rose and get out of there.

He groped blindly, finally locating a doorknob and pushing his way through the doorway into the invisible city of Elbisivni. He blinked several times, letting his eyes adjust to the odd light before looking around. He could see now, just as he'd known he'd be able to - Elbisivni was only invisible from the outside.

He pulled out the sonic screwdriver and used it to help him locate the correct direction so he could find Rose and get them out of there.

It took him less than five minutes to find her, and when he did, his hearts sank. She was shackled to a wall, her arms raised high. She had clearly passed out at some point and her head had flopped forward limply. Her clothing was tattered and there were tiny scratches all over her body. It was the wound on her abdomen that drew his attention though. Two pieces of an arrow lay at her feet confirming his worst fears – she'd been hit by one of the arrows. Arrows that he knew were laced with highly paralytic poisons.

He moved quickly, sonicing the shackles open and scooping Rose into his arms. She was burning up, which meant there was barely any time left – he had to get her to the TARDIS and administer an antidote immediately.

He made it half way down the corridor without incident but as he neared the door a chill raced down his spine and a second later, they were surrounded.

#

"Mum!" Viola yelled frantically, as Rose's eyes fluttered closed and she passed out. Viola let out a cry of anguish, her hands pressed against the wound on her mother's abdomen that was still bleeding profusely.

Passersby had stopped to watch and Viola looked up at them, suddenly furious with their curiosity and lack of helpfulness. "Don't just stand there," she snapped at an older gentleman. "Get some help."

The man nodded apologizing as he moved to do as she asked. Ignoring the rest of the crowd, Viola refocused her attention on her mother.

A million thoughts raced through her mind but Viola pushed them out. She didn't have time to think right now. If she did she knew she'd fall apart. She'd just lost her father, there was no way she was going to lose her mother too. She couldn't let that happen.

With shaking hands, Viola moved her mother's hands away from her stomach and pulled the soaked fabric away from the skin so she could see what it was that had hurt Rose. Viola did the task methodically, focusing on each action instead of the fact that her mother could be dying.

"What?" she said aloud suddenly as she noticed something that puzzled her. She frowned, her hands stilled as she stared open mouthed at the spot where there should have been a wound.

She ran her hands over the spot again, becoming more confused when the skin she felt was perfectly smooth and yet her hand came away wet with fresh blood. How was that even possible?

Vaguely, Viola was aware that the man had returned, bringing with him someone who was bending down to inspect her mum. She paid little attention to them, her mind occupied instead with trying to figure out what was going on. If her mother hadn't been injured then why was she bleeding? And why was she now unconscious? None of it made any sense.

It took her several moments to realize that the man who had come to help was speaking to her. Viola blinked at him, trying to focus.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Viola asked finally.

"I asked if you were okay, you..." the man paused, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. The crowd from earlier was gone and the street was busy and bustling just as it had been before. "You disappeared for a few minutes."

Viola gaped at him. "What?"

"Right after I arrived, you vanished, and you just reappeared right now." He smiled kindly at her. "Don't worry, no one else noticed."

"What? But why... that makes no sense." Viola frowned. This day was getting weirder by the moment.

The man shrugged. "I have some theories."

"Would you like to share them?"

A small smile tugged at the mans lips. "Not really."

"Are you always this annoying?"

"That depends on your perspective."

Viola was growing increasingly impatient with this man. Deciding she'd had enough she looked away, focusing instead on her mother who was still lying unmoving on the pavement.

The man followed her gaze and seemed to instinctively know what she was thinking. "Rose is okay," he told her. "She's just sleeping now, she should wake up soon."

"Thank you." Viola whispered kneeling at her mother's side and taking her hand. She smiled up at the man gratefully. "Really, thank you."

"I didn't do much, to be honest." He hesitated, then knelt beside her so he could look right into her eyes. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Viola stared at him, wondering who this man was and why he was so infuriating. "I'm fine, really. Just a bit of a headache."

He didn't look entirely convinced but he stood anyway, wrapping his long blue army jacket around him. "Well, if that's the case, then I'd best be off. You take care of yourself, little lady."

With that, he saluted her and walked off. It wasn't until he disappeared around the corner that Viola realized he'd known her mother's name.

#

The Doctor scrambled into the TARDIS and raced to the infirmary with Rose still in his arms.

He'd managed to get them out of Elbisivni with some quick talking, a bit of sonic manoeuvring and a lot of running, but it had cost them time. And time was something that Rose had very little of.

He shoved the thought from his mind, knowing that he couldn't dwell on his emotions right now. He needed to focus on administering the antidote.

Gently, he eased Rose onto the bed in the infirmary before racing the to cupboards to find the materials he needed in order to make the concoction. To an outsider he would have appeared to be the epitome of calm, but anyone who knew him well would have noticed the uncharacteristic shaking of his hands as he poured contents into a jar, and the clumsy way in which he kept bumping and knocking things over in his haste to get back to Rose.

He returned to her side with an armful of supplies which he unceremoniously dumped on the table next to the bed. Then he pulled back her shirt to inspect the wound. He choked back an obscenity as he realized it was worse than he'd thought and the wound was already badly infected.

Quickly he grabbed the antidote he'd just made and applied it to her abdomen, sighing with relief as the infection instantly began to clear. He let out a hoot of triumph. He'd done it, he'd made it back in time, Rose would be fi...

She began to spasm and shake agains the table, turning his triumph into panic. "What? No, no, no, no, no, no," he cried. He ran to her, scanning her frantically with several of the alien tools he had, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

Her body gave a sickening shudder and then lay still.

The silent heart monitor set off a scream in his mind that reverberated through his body as he launched himself at her and started desperately trying to breathe air into her lungs and pump blood through her heart. "Breathe!" he shouted in a frenzied furor as he repeated the motions once, twice, three times, again and again…

There was no response.

He tripped backwards, away from her lifeless form as a sob tightened in his chest. . His mind was screaming at him, telling him that this couldn't be happening, that he had to do something, he had to save her.

He raced about, trying every alien tool he had, every antidote, every antibiotic, nanogenes, anything and everything he could find, but she continued to lay there, still and unmoving.

Finally, after several hours, he collapsed beside her bed, buried his head in her chest and gave in to his mounting grief with massive, messy heaving sobs that echoed through the TARDIS.


	8. Chapter 7

Rose groaned as she registered the cold hard pavement beneath her and something heavy atop her. She slowly opened her eyes only to stare up at a filthy and rather damp store awning. She tried to sit up, but the weight on her abdomen prevented her from moving much and she was only able to prop herself up on her elbows. She frowned as she looked down, she couldn't see anything there.

Whatever was on her stomach moved.

"Mum?" Viola's voice was faint and distant. Rose looked around but she couldn't see her daughter anywhere.

"Viola?" Rose's voice was laced with worry, something strange was going on, and she didn't like it.

"Mum. You're okay!" The weight on her stomach lifted and Rose felt familiar little arms wrap around her neck in a jubilant hug.

"Viola, is that you? Why can't I see you?"

The arms that embraced her froze. "You can't see me?" Viola sounded fearful and worried.

"No, I can't. Viola, what's going on?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "The man said I'd vanished, and reappeared when he was here, but it was only for a second."

"Man? What man?"

Rose heard a shuffling sound that she assumed was her daughter shrugging. "Just some man. He came to help when you collapsed. He wouldn't tell me who he was. But he had a nice coat. It was long like Dad's, and blue." She paused. "He knew your name. It was weird."

"Was the coat dark blue?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Rose started laughing. "Sweetheart, I think you just met Captain Jack."

"THAT was Jack?" Viola's expression was incredulous and it made Rose laugh harder. "Will you please stop laughing."

"I'm sorry, but the look on your face is priceless."

"Wait. Mum, you can see me again?"

Rose stopped laughing and stared at her daughter in shock. "Yes, I can."

"And you're okay?"

Rose looked down, she could see the blood on her shirt but that was all that was left to indicate anything had happened. She felt perfectly normal. "I'm perfect. I could use a change of clothes though."

"There's a shop down the road, I have the psychic paper, we can get you something." Viola stood up and offered a hand to her mother. "None of this makes any sense."

"It's very strange," Rose agreed as they began to walk.

"No, Mum, it's more than that. It's all connected, I know it is, if I could just figure out how..." Viola screwed up her face in concentration as she tried to work it out.

The rain had stopped and it didn't take long for them to reach the shop. While Rose quickly picked out a new top and 'paid' for it. Viola waited by the door, thinking.

"Well, have you found any answers in that brilliant brain of yours?" Rose asked as she joined her daughter again, feeling refreshed in a new, green t-shirt.

"Sort of."

Rose looked at her daughter questioningly as they began walking down the street again.

"I think that someone is messing with timelines."

"What do you mean?"

"All these things that are happening – the random time skips, your weird non-injury, me disappearing, and especially the overwhelming pain in my head - they all indicate that time is not functioning normally. I don't know why I didn't sense it earlier."

Rose stopped walking. "Wait, what pain in your head?"

Viola swallowed visibly. "Please don't be mad, Mum. I didn't want to tell you, because I didn't want to worry you. But since we got here, my head has been aching. At first it wasn't much – just a dull pain but it's getting worse, it's like the universe, like time itself is screaming at me, telling me that it's been tampered with."

"I'm not mad, Viola, but I do wish you'd told me. I need to know these things. I'm your mum, it's my job to worry about you." Rose hugged her reassuringly.

Viola smiled. "I know, I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." Rose took her hand and they turned into a large grassy area that she recognized as Hyde Park. "Now tell me, who do you think could possibly be tampering with time like that?"

Viola was silent for several minutes, clearly pondering the question as they wandered past the Princess Diana Memorial toward the lake that ran through the park.

"I'm not certain," Viola said finally, staring out at the water from the bridge they were now standing on. "But I think it has to be another Time Lord."

Rose gasped and Viola whipped her head around to see her. "It's okay Mum, I don't think it's -"

"No, Viola, it's not that." Rose gestured to the other side of the bridge where another woman was standing in almost an identical position, staring at her.

"Who's that?" Viola whispered.

"Donna Noble."

#

Donna was having the worst day of her life. Sure, she'd found the missing children but she couldn't do anything to help them because for some god forsaken reason she was being pulled all over creation and back and she didn't have a clue why. To make matters worse she had the mother of all headaches and random images and fantastical ideas kept filtering into her mind which just added to the mess of confusion that was trying to drive her mental.

She had recently decided that the only explanation for all of this, was that it was a dream. An incredibly vivid one, in which she travelled through time and saw all kinds of crazy things. That was the only thing that made sense, because she couldn't have possibly been in the sixteenth century or on another planet – could she?

Donna laughed and shook the thought from her mind. She really was going mad if she was starting to believe this was all real. Deciding there was nothing else she could do, but go along with it and make the most of her bizarre dream, Donna brushed herself off from her most recent journey, and took stock of her surroundings.

Apparently her brain had switched from the fantastical to the mundane because she appeared to be on an ordinary street in London. It was raining, so Donna glanced around for somewhere dry. There was a park across the street with some large trees that looked like they would do the trick. As she waited out the storm, she surveyed the park, and laughed aloud when she realized it was Hyde Park – a place she often came with her Granddad.

When the rain stopped, she made her way to the water, walking along the path and enjoying a relaxing stroll. Her favourite bridge loomed ahead and she happily headed toward it.

She had started to cross it when she saw her. A blond woman talking to a little girl on the other end of the bridge. Donna could only see the side of her face but there was something familiar about her – something both comforting and worrying. She took another step closer just as the woman turned to face her.

Donna gasped and stared at the woman. She _emknew/em_ her. She didn't know how, or from where, but she knew with absolute certainty that they had met before.

"Who's that?" The little girl whispered to the blond woman.

"Donna Noble," the woman answered.

Their eyes met and slowly they began to walk toward each other, the little girl trailing a little ways behind.

As they neared each other, a name popped into Donna's head and she suddenly knew who this woman was. "Rose Tyler," she said softly, offering her hand.

As their hands met, Donna's head suddenly burst with a mixture of images and pain. Everything she'd seen today suddenly converged and started to make sense. She remembered meeting a man called the Doctor, remembered watching him drown a bunch of spider babies. The memories were coming faster now – meeting him again, seeing Rose, Pompeii, aliens with tentacles, time travel, Agatha Christie, the Doctor dying, meeting Rose, Earth disappearing, Daleks, a second Doctor, her saving the day with a Time Lord brain, leaving Rose and the second Doctor on a beach, the Doctor taking her memories away as she screamed…

The images seared through her mind and Donna clutched at her head, grabbing fistfuls of hair in both hands.

She cried out and Rose gripped her hand more tightly.

"Mum!" the little girl shouted. "Mum, what's happening?"

Suddenly the pain in Donna's head worsened, and all she could see was a massive burst of light that felt like it was slicing directly through her brain.


	9. Chapter 8

The woman who her mum said was named Donna Noble cried out in pain, and for some reason Viola was able to feel the very same pain in her own head. It was unbearable and she felt like her brain was going to burst.

"Mum!" Viola shouted. "Mum, what's happening?"

The pain was blinding now and Viola's knees nearly buckled. She breathed deeply and tried to control it, moving closer to her mum and Donna.

Suddenly there was a massive burst of dazzling golden light that swirled and convulsed around the two women in the middle of the bridge. Viola stared at it, mouth open in awe, and wonder. Then the light flared before disappearing taking her mother and Donna with it.

"MUM!" Viola screamed running to the spot and looking for some kind of sign or indication of where she'd gone. "Mum!" she called again, her voice wavering.

She knelt down, directly over the spot where Rose had been standing a moment before and blinked back tears.

"No," she told herself audibly. No, she wasn't going to cry, she wasn't going to fall apart. She was going to find out who was behind the oddities that were occurring and she was going to stop them. She stood up, wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, her shoulders shaking against her small frame. She started to walk away when she spotted something on the ground near where Donna had been standing.

Viola stooped to pick it up. It was a list of names and ages, as well as addresses. Deciding it might be worth keeping, Viola pocketed the paper before going to sit under a tree and pondering what to do next.

#

The Doctor wasn't sure how many hours had passed when he finally sat up, and dried his eyes. He looked down at Rose's motionless body again, the sadness in his hearts threatening to overcome him with emotion. It was hard for him to imagine that just the day before he had been so happy and full of hope when all he felt now was despair. How could the universe be so cruel as to take Rose away from him again just as he'd finally brought her back into his life?

He smoothed her hair and planted a gentle kiss on her the cool skin of her cheek.

"Goodbye, Rose," he whispered, "I love you." He cast one more glance at her before turning away and leaving the room.

Circling the console despondently the Doctor let go of the hold he'd placed on his thoughts and the overwhelming guilt kicked in. All along, a part of him had known that what he was doing was dangerous; that he was messing with things he had no business messing with. But he'd deliberately pushed the thoughts aside, ignored his conscience and acted completely selfishly. And it had all resulted in the death of the one woman he'd allowed himself to love.

Furious with himself, the Doctor pounded his fists hard into the console not caring that it hurt; not caring what damage he wrought. He was so absorbed in his own anguish that he didn't notice it when the TARDIS lit up and relocated him, until it landed with a gratifying thump.

Momentarily distracted, the Doctor strode to the door, wondering where the TARDIS had brought him, and why.

He pulled open the doors and stepped out into a park. Though the sky was clear, the grass was wet and he knew it had rained recently. The Doctor scanned the area, looking for some indication of something out of the ordinary, for some explanation of why he was there.

Someone was watching him, he realized. He shifted his gaze to his left where a young girl with dark curly hair was sitting beneath a tree, her huge, sad, blue eyes fixed on him.

There was something about the child that intrigued him and he walked toward her. She stood up as he approached and as their eyes met, he could suddenly hear her thoughts as clearly as though they were his own.

She was in great pain this child, missing her father, and her mother terribly. She was scared and alone.

Alone, like him. He felt great compassion for the child then, and without really thinking about what he was doing, he knelt down and opened his arms to her. She ran to him, tucking herself against his chest, her small arms hugging him tightly and her thoughts told him that she felt safe.

He recoiled then, releasing her and backing away. No, she wasn't safe with him, no one was safe with him.

He started to walk away, but she placed her hand in his and squeezed it. "But, I am safe with you," she whispered. Her voice filled with such faith, such adoration.

"How did you know -?" he started to ask, but then he realized that she must be able to hear his thoughts, just as he could hear hers. "Who are you?"

"Viola."

"Viola." He smiled. It suited her. "Like the play."

She beamed at him. "Exactly like the play. Shakespeare named me... sort of."

He raised his eyebrows at her and Viola laughed. It was a bright, ringing sound that he couldn't help but smile at.

"Is that so?"

Viola nodded. "Yup."

"Yes," he corrected, then sobered. "Why are you all alone, in a park in London?"

Her little eyes filled with sadness again, and he immediately wanted to take back the question. But she surprised him and instead of crying, like he'd expected, she raised her head high and said, "I was here with my Mum, but there was a big burst of light and she vanished. They both did."

"Both?"

"Another woman was with her. Donna Noble."

The Doctor froze. "What did you say?"

Viola shrugged. "Donna Noble. I was just working out a plan for how to find them when you showed up."

His mind was racing. How could Donna have been here in the park? She was supposed to be off travelling with his other self. He frowned, realizing suddenly that he'd likely altered that reality when he'd stopped Rose from going to the parallel world. Or had he? He wasn't sure, it was all confusing. He rubbed at his temples.

Viola gasped, her mouth open as she backed away from him. "What have you done?" she asked in horror.

"What?" The Doctor gaped at her before realizing that she'd heard his thoughts again. _emHow did she keep doing that?/em_ he wondered. Only another Time Lord would be able to breach his barriers in such a way. But surely he should have sensed the presence of another Time Lord.

Viola's voice halted his thoughts and he focused on her again.

"What have you done?" Viola repeated, the look on her face far beyond her years.

"Me?"

She glared at him. "You, of all people should know that messing with Timelines is a very dangerous thing to do. There could be very serious consequences. What is wrong with you?" she shouted, "You always told me to _emnever/em_ tamper with fixed points in time and now you go and do just that? What were you thinking?"

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair and frowned at her. "Who are you?" he demanded in a wavering voice. "We haven't met, have we?"

Viola's eyes widened in shock. "I'm sorry, I meant, my dad, he uh... always told me that," she said lamely.

The Doctor stared at her as everything clicked and he realized exactly who he was dealing with; and whose child this was.

He felt a pang in his chest as a cacophony of emotions crashed upon him and suddenly helping Viola was the most important thing in the world.

#

Viola watched the Doctor shrewdly as he paced in front of her looking troubled. It was uncanny how like her father he looked. They were identical. The hair, the eyes, the curvature of his mouth – they were all exactly like his. Viola knew she should have anticipated this; should have prepared herself, but she hadn't expected him to just turn up like this - at the exact moment she needed him most.

How had he known to come? She wondered. It seemed unlikely it was a coincidence.

"It wasn't a coincidence," he said, startling her.

"What?"

"Me coming here. It wasn't me. The TARDIS brought me here. Rather against my will, I might add."

"How did you know..."

"What you were thinking?" the Doctor finished for her. He tapped his temple. "I can hear everything right here, as clearly as if I were thinking it."

Viola frowned. "You can? But my dad, he was... like you... and he could only hear me if I deliberately projected my thoughts to him."

The Doctor bent down so that they were eye level. "Your Dad is part human. It's different with full Time Lords."

"How did you know my dad..." Her eyes widened. "You know who I am."

"I suspected," he clarified. "Your reaction just now verified it."

"Oh." Viola was quiet for a moment. She wasn't sure how she felt about him knowing. She wasn't ready to answer the questions he was sure to have about her father and she was still very conflicted about how similar the Doctor was to him. Instead of dwelling on her thoughts and risking him asking questions, Viola quickly returned to the topic at hand. "So why can't I hear what you're thinking? I mean, I could before, but now I can't, not really – I'm just getting snippets here and there."

The Doctor looked at her knowingly but to Viola's relief, he went along with the diversion. "It's because I've put up shields, they're like a sort of mental wall. I'm a little rusty – been a long time since I needed to do it, but it prevents you from being bombarded with thoughts and images."

"You don't trust me?" Viola murmured, trying but failing to keep the hurt from her voice.

The Doctor looked surprised. "What? No, no, no. It's not that... it's just... well, my thoughts are rather dark at the moment, not really fit for a little girl."

Viola placed her hands on her hips and gave him her most scathing glare. "I am NOT little. Seven is quite grown up."

Bemused, he pressed his lips together and looked down at her through wide, playful eyes. "Oh right, sorry. Of course seven isn't little, I just meant..." he shrugged helplessly.

Viola rolled her eyes. "Grownups," she muttered before walking over to him and taking his hand. "Can we go to the TARDIS now please?"

He jumped. "What?"

"The T-A-R-D-I-S," she said slowly. "We will need it to find Mum."

"But -"

Viola sighed dramatically and started to pull him in the direction he'd come from. "Are you em_always/em _this thick? I thought Mum said you were intelligent."

"Oi!" he spluttered, "I em_am_/em intelligent! I'm brilliant!"

"Pfft." Viola said, dragging him toward the thicket where she could see the TARDIS hiding. "Could have fooled me."

iTBC/i

5


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: **I know I don't normally post on Wednesdays, nor do I usually post two chapters in a week, but as an extra special surprise, in honour of earlgreytea's birthday, you're all getting an extra chapter this week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EarlGreyTea60 (Technically there are still several hours to go in her timezone, but in mine it's already time and I'm about to go to bed, so it's coming a tad early, enjoy).

PS - don't worry, another chapter will be posted on Friday as per the usual pattern.

Chapter 9

Inside the TARDIS the Doctor started to panic. What was he going to do with a seven year old? What if she broke something? Or worse hurt herself? Oh god, Rose would never forgive him if her daughter was injured.

Rose. His eyes widened and he began to panic. What if Viola wandered into the infirmary... what if she saw... he swallowed hard and dragged his hands over his eyes. Oh god, Rose. Rose from the past was dead, and he'd taken her from a point in her time line before Viola had been born. The enormity of the situation began to sink in and his knees buckled. He gripped the console for support as his mind raced with the repercussions of what he'd done... Had Viola's Rose disappeared because Rose in the infirmary had died? Had she died too? And if she had, what did that mean for Viola? What would happen to her?

Viola! He'd been so focused on his thoughts he had lost track of where she was. He glanced around the control room but couldn't see her.

"Viola?" he called.

"Yes?" her response was faint, nearly inaudible and yet he couldn't see her.

"Where are you?"

"I'm here," she said. "Right beside you."

He looked to both his left and right but couldn't see anyone.

A small hand slid into his and as he gripped it firmly, he began to see her outline again. It was faint at first, but the longer he held onto her, the stronger she appeared, until finally she stood beside him, as vivid and real as she'd been when he first met her outside.

"I vanished, didn't I?"

"You did."

She looked disappointed. "I'd hoped it would stop now that you've come."

"It's happened before?"

"This was the third time." She bit her lip, looking uncertain and vulnerable. A drastic change from the confident child who'd dragged him across the park. "What if one time, I don't reappear?"

He sat on the jump seat and took her other hand as well, pulling her toward him until she was directly in front of him. "I won't let that happen."

"But-"

"No. Don't think that. Viola, I promise you, I will find a way to stop this."

"How?"

"I don't know yet, but I'll find a way, I always do."

She stared at him intently for several long minutes before surprising him by climbing onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He thought she'd climb down again but instead she snuggled closer, clinging to him. "My mum," she whispered. "Do you think she's going to be okay? Will we find her?"

He looked down at her, and the trusting vulnerability in her eyes melted his heart. "I will do my best."

"Promise?"

The Doctor gulped. He was in trouble - already he could refuse this child nothing. "I promise."

"Good." Viola wriggled out of his arms then, pecking him on the cheek before sliding back to the floor and circling the console. "We best get started then."

He laughed. "I suppose we best."

#

"You're doing it wrong," Viola told the Doctor as he shifted them into the vortex after their fourth unsuccessful trip in search of Rose.

He waggled a finger at her. "Oi! I flew this TARDIS through the graviton cyclones in the Jovian Fold' she's been in and out of black holes and she's found Vortex corridors within corridors that nobody else ever dreamed were there. I think I know what I'm doing by now."

"Well you don't. You should really deploy the flirmirtrator _embefore/em_ you press the zyglogcktmore."

"What? Why would I want to do that?"

Viola sighed. He really was _emso/em_ dim sometimes. "Because it helps control the fluctuations in time that can disrupt the ability to arrive at an exact time and place."

He looked at her in exasperation and confusion so she clarified. "It will prevent you from making so many navigational errors."

"I don't -"

Viola looked at him pointedly. In just four trips they'd already ended up in the 12th century instead of the 24th, on the planet Ghulpt instead of the planet Viiiiimy and in Eastern Turkey instead of West Africa.

"But… but," he sputtered, rubbing a hand on his cheek. "The helmic regulator keeps pulling to the right and then the thermal buffer has never been quite spot-on, it's not like it's something I'm doing…" he trailed off.

"Yes, it is. Trust me, deploying the flirmirtrator first will fix the problem."

"Fine then, if you know so much, why don't you fly this thing?"

"I would, gladly, but in case you hadn't noticed, I can't reach."

"Then how'd you learn to fly a TARDIS?"

"My daddy built a retractable step ladder for me around the console. We used to fly together – but only because he was afraid I'd go and accidentally regenerate myself again if I flew solo."

The Doctor's eyes grew wide and his jaw slackened as his hands stilled on the controls and he gaped at Viola incredulously. "Wait, what? You've regenerated? But you're only seven!"

Viola shrugged. "It's no big deal. I'm still me and I have nicer hair now."

The Doctor stared at her. em _You and I are going to have to have a little chat about the seriousness of regeneration when this is all over_/em, Viola heard him think.

"Hey! I heard that!" she accused.

"You were supposed to." The Doctor winked at her before yanking on a lever and taking them to yet another location.

#

Several failed trips later, the Doctor looked up from the console to find Viola gone.

"Viola?" He called, thinking that maybe she had gone invisible again. It had been happening with greater and greater frequency.

When she didn't answer, his hearts skipped a beat for a moment – had it happened? Had she blinked out of existence? He closed his eyes, concentrating as he reached out with his mind, searching for hers. It took a moment, but the thread was there, but – she was upset. He frowned, his worry increasing as he began to search the TARDIS for her.

He turned down a corridor and came to an abrupt halt when he saw her standing outside the infirmary.

_emNo/em,_ he thought frantically as he started to race toward her, hoping that she hadn't seen -.

The sound of her sobs confirmed the worst and when the Doctor reached her he immediately pulled her into his arms, comforting her as she cried. "Shh," he murmured, smoothing her hair. "Viola, it's going to be all right."

She took a deep breath and pulled away, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry. I never cry like that, it's just -" She looked toward the infirmary. "I walked past and for a moment, I thought I saw Mum, lying there, bleeding. But then, when I went closer, she vanished, just like she did on the bridge and..." she looked up at him, her cool blue eyes rimmed with red and filled with fear and worry. "What if we can't find her? What if she's gone for good? My dad, he's... and I don't know this universe and..." silent tears streamed down her cheeks and the Doctor felt his hearts breaking for her.

She was so brave and strong, this child. It was obvious from her behaviour, and her very presence in his universe, that something had happened to her father and though he had some theories he didn't want to ask. He could tell she was hurting but was trying so hard not to show her pain while they searched for her mother; trying to hold it all in and not show her true feelings. Much like himself, he realized – always blocking out the pain and running from one adventure to the next.

With an incredibly gentle touch, the Doctor reached out, drying Viola's tears with his thumb.

"Viola, listen to me." She looked up at him, her eyes wide and trusting. He gulped, really wishing he was deserving of that trust. "We em_will/em_ find your mother. She's out there somewhere, I'm certain of it."

"But what if she's not? What if something happens to her? What if-"

He bent to her level and looked her directly in the eye. "Then you have me."

She blinked at him, surprised. "What?"

"If, and this is a big if because I don't think this will be the case, but if the worst happens and we can't locate your mother, I'm always going to be here for you. You won't be alone."

"Really?" she said the word so softly he had to strain to hear it.

"Really." He offered her his hand. "Now come, let's go over the facts again, I'm sure there's some detail, some clue that we've missed. We're geniuses, us two, we're bound to think of something."

Viola smiled and the Doctor was pleased to see that it reached her eyes. "Okay," she said, taking his hand. "You're right."

As they walked past, the Doctor cast a final glance toward the Infirmary, confirming for himself that Rose was no longer there. All that remained was a white sheet and an imprint of her head on the pillow. Deciding to save that particular mystery for another day, he reached out with his free hand, pulling the door closed. He'd dwelt on the past for too long. It was time to stop looking back and to start moving forward.

5


	11. Chapter 10

Shakespeareverse

Viola sat cross-legged on the floor in the library with a giant, tome on her lap. As she scoured the text, written in Ancient Rogmartagrian, for clues about disturbances in time, she reflected on the conversation she'd had with the Doctor a short while earlier.

He'd asked her to recount the things that had happened since she and Rose had arrived in his universe, hoping for a clue. So she'd told him everything – the dead TARDIS, the strange "earthquakes" and time leaps, her mother's injury, meeting Jack, - all of it. And through it all, the Doctor had listened carefully, taking every morsel of information and mulling it over. Nodding at some points, frowning at others.

When she'd finished he'd asked her a few questions, particularly about when they'd first arrived. After several hmms and huhs, he'd jotted some equations on a piece of paper until he pinpointed the exact date of their arrival on earth. Then he'd thanked her and left the room. Viola knew he'd figured something else out but he didn't seem to want to tell her.

His evasiveness was driving her batty.

She tried once again to concentrate on the text but found it futile and after another minute she slammed the book closed and tossed it onto the sofa.

Steeling herself for what she was certain was going to be a tricky battle of wills, she marched into the control room where the Doctor was tinkering beneath the console, so that only his brown pinstripe adorned legs and white converse were visible.

She paused, swallowing a lump in her throat as she was suddenly thrust into a memory of a time when she'd found her father in an identical position. He'd sensed her in the doorway and had motioned her over, handing her a ratchet and gesturing for him to join her. They'd spent the next few hours tinkering together as he taught her the ins and outs of TARDIS mechanics.

A loud clatter brought Viola back to the present and she blinked back tears as the memory faded and the Doctor who was like her father, but wasn't him,emerged from beneath the TARDIS, tools in hand.

He nodded to her in acknowledgement, then reached for another tool and started to lay back down.

Her resolve renewed, Viola stormed over to him and wrenched the metal object from his hand.

"Hey! I need that!" he cried.

"You can have it back when you tell me what else you know."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he claimed, careful not to make eye contact.

"You do. You know something about Mum, and I want you to tell me what it is."

"Viola," he started, in that tone adults always use when they're trying to change the subject.

"No." She folded her arms over her chest and glared down at him. "I have a right to know."

"But-"

"Please..." she pleaded, blinking innocently. It had always worked on her father and she was hoping it would work on him.

The Doctor sighed. "Fine. You win." He set down the rest of his tools and stood, brushing dust from his trousers before sitting down on the captain's chair and motioning for her to join him. "I'll tell you my theory, but you're not going to like it."

Viola raised her chin haughtily. "I can handle it."

The Doctor nodded. "I know you can. But please, will you sit?"

Viola complied, looking at him expectantly as soon as she was settled. "Well?"

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair several times before scrubbing his hands over his face and peering out at Viola through his fingertips. "You were right, it's my fault."

Viola blinked. "What?"

The Doctor dropped his hands and stood, pacing restlessly as he spoke. "All of these strange things that have happened to you and your mother – I'm the cause."

Viola sat silently, waiting for him to continue.

"I – I've done some things recently, things I'm not proud of. I know you saw some of it – before I started shielding you from my thoughts. I was – selfish. I abused my knowledge of time and space, messed with things I shouldn't have - em_changed/em _things I shouldn't have. I started to act like a god. And I convinced myself it was right because the universe owed me."

"The universe _emowed/em_ you?" Viola scoffed.

"There were all these signs," he shouted tugging at his hair. "I was told that my time had come." He lowered his voice. "Viola, I think I'm supposed to die. To regenerate into someone else and I – I don't want to. So I ran. Threw myself into trying to fix my past mistakes instead of facing the future." He dragged his hand through his hair. "The worst thing is, I think I may have unknowingly put you and your mum, and I think Donna, in serious danger in the process."

"What do you mean?" Viola asked, even though she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"I know why you keep disappearing – I... I undid you."

Viola frowned at him. "How?"

"It's not important."

"Yes, it is."

He sighed and looked at her, his face unreadable. "I went back and prevented Donna from causing the meta-crisis that created your father."

Viola gasped. "Why would you do that?"

He ground the heel of his hand into his forehead. "Paradoxes," he explained. "With reality in flux like that, it's like trying to see your way through molasses." He clicked his tongue. "Happens to the best of us, you know, sometimes there's just no avoiding…" He broke off as her probing gaze found him, her doubt tearing down his facade. His face fell as he gave a sigh. How was it that a seven year old could see through him so easily? "I was stupid," he confessed finally. "I didn't think it through. I was trying to save Donna."

"How would my dad not existing save Donna?"

"When Donna caused the meta-crisis it changed her – gave her a Time Lord consciousness."

Viola's eyes widened. "But she's human – the human brain..."

"... can't handle that kind of information," he finished for her. "which is why, after I left your parents on the beach in your world, I had to do one of the worst things I've ever done in my life."

"You took her memories away," Viola realized.

The Doctor nodded miserably. "It was horrible. She was amazing, Donna. Absolutely magnificent and I had to take that from her."

"Doctor," Viola placed her hand over his. "You had no choice."

"There's always a choice," he replied darkly. He was silent for a moment before finally sucking in a breath and looking back up at her. "After that happened, I cut myself off. I didn't let myself get close to anyone because I couldn't bear to lose anyone else. Then, when I had the opportunity, that was the first thing I wanted to fix. I just wanted to do right by Donna, I didn't mean to..." He looked at Viola. "If I had thought – if I had known..."

"It's okay. You know now, you can fix it."

"Maybe." The Doctor scrubbed his eyes with his hands. "But it's worse than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mum. I changed her history too." He glanced down at his lap, but not before Viola noted the pain clouding his eyes. "I think that's why you kept being shifted through time and space."

Viola shook her head. "You really did make a mess of things, didn't you?" she said, trying to keep her voice light, so as not to upset him further.

He laughed sardonically. "You don't know the half of it."

Viola studied him for a moment, thinking through all the details she knew about her mum's time with the Doctor. Something clicked and she gasped. "You stopped her from being trapped in the parallel universe."

He gaped at her in surprise. "I did."

Everything was beginning to make sense. "When Mum suddenly started bleeding in the street – it was because something happened to her previous self."

The Doctor's face was shrouded in sadness as he nodded.

Viola wanted to crawl into his lap and comfort him, but she held herself back. Instead she simply placed a gentle hand over his and murmured, "She died, didn't she?"

"Yes," the Doctor whispered sadly.

"But Mum didn't. She went from being unconscious and bleeding to being perfectly fine – there wasn't even a wound. How is that possible?" Viola mused.

"I'm really not sure. It doesn't make sense. Just like it doesn't make sense that you're still here. All my calculations indicate that you shouldn't even exist anymore, and yet, here you are."

Viola smiled. "Here I am. Mum always did say I was special!" The smile faded and she grew serious. "So what now?"

"I wish I knew..."

They sat in silence for a while and then something occurred to Viola. "What about Donna?" she asked.

The Doctor looked baffled. "What about her?"

"On the bridge, before she and Mum disappeared, I felt something in here." Viola tapped the side of her head. "I think – I think it was Donna." Viola swallowed hard as she recalled the moment and for a moment the burning torment filled her head again. "It was horrible. She was scared and there was so much pain. I've never felt anything so awful."

The Doctor looked distressed. "Oh, no. "

"She was remembering, wasn't she?"

The Doctor stood up and started to pace. He kept tugging on his ear periodically as he thought. "Did she say anything? Anything that might indicate she was remembering?"

Viola scrunched her face up and thought hard. "She knew Mum's name!"

"No, no, no, no." The Doctor's eyes were wide. "This was all just before they vanished?"

Viola nodded.

"Okay, Think. Think, think, think, think, thinkity, think." He stopped suddenly and snapped his fingers. "I know what to do."

5


	12. Chapter 11

The Doctor knew he was acting a bit manic as he raced around the console, hooting in triumph as he programmed the TARDIS. Viola was still sitting on the jump seat, watching him as though he were mental.

He pressed a button with his shoe and reached around the side to pull a lever. Soon they were off, racing through time and space. It had been a long time since he'd been so certain about being right about something and he could feel the adrenaline and excitement pumping through his veins.

The landing was rough and he and Viola were both on the floor by the time the TARDIS stopped shuddering, but the Doctor didn't care. If he was right, and he was positive he was, they'd be seeing Rose and Donna very soon.

He pulled Viola to her feet and scrambled for the door. His enthusiasm was contagious and Viola trundled after him, eager to find her mother again.

Viola opened the door and they both froze. They were on Earth, in the not too distant past but it was wrong. All of it was wrong.

"Is that a dinosaur?" Viola asked incredulously.

The Doctor's entire being filled with dread as he answered, "Yes."

The scene before them was pure chaos. Humans from the distant future mingled with humans from the modern day and the past. Prehistoric animals were sparing with futuristic robots and alien beings.

The Doctor backed away from the doors. "No, no, no, no, no."

"What happened?" Viola wanted to know. "It's all mixed, up, it's all wrong."

He shook his head frantically as he circled the console. "This can't be happening." He caught Viola's eye. "It's not possible."

Viola closed the doors and let out a long drawn out sigh as she approached the Doctor. "Clearly it is."

"But, I've never seen anything like this. The walls between time periods and worlds are firmly locked. This can't happen." He pulled the monitor on the console toward him and began taping at the keys with frantic need.

"Just because em_you've/em_ never seen something like this doesn't mean it can't happen. I saw it too – impossible or not, it's happened."

"But -" The computer beeped, interrupting his argument as his attention focused on the screen. "What?" He frowned, none of it made sense. "What?"

"What is it? What did you see?" Viola wanted to know.

The Doctor jumped, he'd been so focused on the computer that her voice had startled him. He twisted his head so he could see her. She was standing directly behind him, on her tiptoes, trying to see the monitor.

He sighed and lifted her up so she could see it properly, watching as her bright eyes moved back and forth rapidly taking in the readings. She gasped. "Oh, this is bad."

"It is," he agreed, "But if we act quickly I think I can close the barriers and set everything right."

Viola shook her head so violently that her hair hit his face. "You can't."

"What? Why not?" the Doctor goggled at her, she could be so infuriating sometimes.

"Don't you see it?"

"See what?"

"The crack."

He peered at the monitor again, everything was just as it had been before. "All I see is chaos that needs to be returned to order."

"You really are so daft sometimes." Viola huffed pointing to a mark on the left of the screen near a cluster of mathematical symbols. "It's right there. Look closely."

He leaned in, careful to tighten his grip on the child so she wouldn't slip off his hip. He scrutinized the readouts, his frown deepening with every second that passed. "Oh no."

The Doctor set Viola down and began to pace, his hair becoming more and more wild as his hands mussed it repeatedly. He felt Viola's gaze boring into him as he moved, and finally he paused to address her. "If you hadn't seen that I would have..."

"Made it worse, yes." Her tone was so matter of fact that he started to laugh. "I don't see how this is funny," Viola said, glaring at him with her arms crossed.

"It's not," he assured her, sobering. "It's just you."

"Me?" Viola raised her eyebrows.

"You're only seven, how come you keep being right all the time?"

"I told you I'm more intelligent than you."

He scoffed. "That's debatable – I'm older and therefore wiser."

"Humph, so you think." Viola rolled her eyes. "Anyway, about that crack..."

#

An hour later, they'd managed to do further research and had discovered more cracks, identical in shape and size to the first one, scattered throughout the entire universe. The Doctor had insisted on an experimental visit to a far off planet to verify the extent of the situation and what they found there had been terrifying. Thousands of past, present and future human beings were in the centre of the planet, surrounded by hordes of alien races from just about every corner of the galaxy.

The situation was growing desperate, but neither Viola nor the Doctor knew how to fix it, particularly because they couldn't find any indication of what had caused the calamity in the first place.

It was during a particularly heated debate over a potential stratagem that Viola shoved her hands in her pockets during a fit of exasperation and rediscovered the slip of paper Donna had dropped before she'd vanished.

"What's that?" The Doctor wanted to know.

"Nothing, I think." Viola handed to him. "I found it in the park where Donna was standing when she and Mum disappeared."

He inspected the slip of paper carefully before his face broke into a massive grin. "Viola, you're brilliant!" He bounded over to her and to her utter surprise, hoisted her above his head, spinning her.

"Hey! Put me down!" Viola squealed, kicking her legs at him.

Laughing, he complied and danced over to the TARDIS.

Viola gaped at him. "What's wrong with you?"

"Wrong?" He flicked a switch. "Nothing is wrong with me. In fact, everything is right. I think I know the source of all this."

"You do?" Viola watched, wide eyed as he pulled levers and flicked switches. "How did you get that from a list of random names and dates?"

He thrust the paper back at her before dashing to the other side of the console to flick a bunch of dials. "Look at the last one."

She glanced at it. "It's an address."

"Yes!" the Doctor shouted. "And it's circled."

"So?"

"The date, Viola, look at the date."

The TARDIS lurched sideways and Viola had to cling to a pillar to aVoid falling over. The Doctor was balancing himself comically on the console with a foot and an arm. Viola chuckled inwardly and looked at the date.

"Oh!" She gasped just as the TARDIS righted itself and landed. "That's exactly five years from the date Mum and I arrived in this universe!" Viola recalled a complicated equation the Doctor had utilized to pinpoint their exact date of entry when she'd told him everything... had it really only been a few hours ago?

"Exactly!"

"You think there's a connection?"

The Doctor grabbed his coat from where it was strewn over a pillar. "There has to be."

"Couldn't it be a coincidence?"

He paused, his coat only half on and gave her a piercing stare. "Viola, your mother and Donna disappeared and now there's a massive crack in the universe. There's no way it's a coincidence."

Viola bit her lip thoughtfully. A horrible possibility occurred to her and she felt her stomach turn.

"Viola? You all right?" The Doctor was staring at her with great concern.

"Yes, no, it's just... Do you think we did it?"

The Doctor sputtered. "You? No. No way."

Viola eyed him uncertainly. "But we came from a parallel universe, something that technically shouldn't happen, so how do you know we didn't cause it?"

"I just know."

"You don't."

"Viola I am 99... no 95... okay 89.9123 percent positive that you and your mother did not cause this."

"89.9123 percent? You made that up," Viola accused.

He sighed. "Okay, yes, I did, but that's not the point."

"So what is the point?"

"The point is, that you need to stop worrying. I really don't think you caused this... Donna is involved somehow and she had nothing to do with you coming through the Void."

Viola dropped her shoulders. "That's true."

"Good. We agree." He gestured his head toward the rest of the TARDIS. "Now I'm going to go investigate this address. You stay here."

Was he serious? Viola shook her head vehemently. "No way. I'm coming with you."

"You can't, it's dangerous."

Frustrated, Viola let out a low scream. "I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself."

He blinked at her, clearly bewildered by her outburst. "I know you can, I was just trying to protect you."

"Well quit it, it's annoying. Besides," she said, heading down the ramp, "I'll just follow you anyway, wouldn't you rather I was with you?"

"Fine," he relented, following her to the door. "But I'm doing the talking."

#

The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket as he sauntered toward the electronics store that sported the address from Donna's slip of paper. He could hear Viola scuffling behind him, trying to keep up with his long, quick strides. He stopped at the door and motioned to Viola to be quiet as he cautiously pushed the door open.

He scanned the empty shop, both with his eyes and the sonic, wrinkling his nose at the pungent smell that greeted him. He crept further inside and swiped his finger over the top of a television set coming away with at least an inch of dust. Holding the finger out for Viola to inspect he whispered, "Doesn't look like business is especially booming here."

Viola shook her head and shoved his finger away from her face. "No," she agreed. "It's probably just a front." To his surprise, she pulled her own sonic from her pocket and walked further into the store, scanning items as she moved. It was smaller than his, he noted and had a purple light instead of blue. He was curious if it had any additional functions and made a mental note to ask to see it later when they had more time.

The Doctor stared after her for a moment, a fresh smile gracing his lips. He followed her to the back of the store where an old dingy curtain covered a doorway. After motioning for Viola to pause, the Doctor placed his ear against the red fabric and listened carefully, wanting to be sure it was safe before venturing beyond it. Deciding it was clear, he flung the curtain open and held his screwdriver out in front of him as he advanced.

Together, he and Viola searched the back room, disappointed to find nothing more than a pile of dusty boxes and the messy remains of an administrative office. The Doctor was about to leave the office when Viola squeaked from the other corner of the room.

"What is it?" he inquired.

"Mum."

The Doctor's hearts began to pound. "What? Rose? Where?" He looked around searchingly, but all he could see was the desk Viola was standing behind.

"No, I mean her name, look." Viola pointed to the desk. He followed her gaze and his eyes widened. The words 'Rose Tyler' had been carved repeatedly into the wooden surface of the desk.

He ran his fingers over the words, marvelling at how smooth it still felt. "How odd," he murmured to himself.

"What could have made those carvings?" Viola wanted to know.

"Only one sure way to find out..." the Doctor adjusted the setting on his sonic screwdriver and directed the device at the desk.

Viola stood on her tiptoes trying to peer at it too. "What's it say?"

The Doctor frowned, his stomach sinking. "This was carved by a special laser."

"A laser? But why would someone do that?"

"I have some thoughts…" The Doctor tugged on his ear. "But it can't be. He's dead, he couldn't... it's impossible." He looked at the carvings again, and tried to think; who else would be fixated on Rose?

"You're not making any sense. Who's dead?"

"Not me!" said a voice behind them. A voice the Doctor recognized all too well. Hearts thudding, both Time Lords spun around to face the newcomer.

6


	13. Chapter 12

"Doctor!" The man said jovially. "I'd hoped you'd come." The newcomer rushed forward enveloping the Doctor in a warm hug.

Viola bit her tongue trying to prevent herself from giggling at the uncomfortable expression on the Doctor's face.

"Jack!" he said in a strained tone as the other man pulled away. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Donna?" Jack smiled at Viola. "Hey, who's the kid?"

Viola frowned. "You don't recognize me?" She asked, crest fallen. "We met on the street, my mum was bleeding, you helped us."

Jack furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Sorry, I don't recall."

_emViola, that hasn't happened in his timeline yet./em _the Doctor reminded her in her head.

_emOh, right. /em _she thought back before smiling up at Jack. "Never mind." She told him casually as she offered her hand. "I'm Viola."

Jack beamed and took her hand in his. "Beautiful name. Captain Jack Harkness."

"It's a pleasure to properly meet you. I've heard so much about you."

He raised his eyebrows. "You have?"

"Yup, my Daddy told me all about how you used to travel with him and Mummy... Only he had a different face then."

Jack blinked at her then shot a questioning glance at the Doctor. "She's your—?"

The Doctor shook his head vigorously. "Not exactly."

Jack frowned, studying him for a moment before it clicked. "Wait, you mean she's his..."

The Doctor nodded. "And Rose's daughter, yes."

Jack's coat flapped against his legs as he raced after the Doctor and Viola towards the location of the scream. His head swam with the new bits of information he'd just gained in the office. Rose and the other Doctor had a child, Donna and Rose were missing, there were cracks in the universe...

Actually when he really thought about it, it made sense. The cracks. Jack had noticed a serious increase in odd alien activity coming from the Rift in Cardiff in recent months. And just the other day, he and Gwen had returned a 13th century Shen warrior back to his correct timeline only to find an 18th century courtier and 3rd century priest wandering the streets. They'd figured at the time that it was just unusual Rift activity, but now Jack wasn't so sure. If there were cracks in the universe then it could be that time was no longer fixed - a very dangerous prospect.

His thoughts were interrupted as they rounded a corner to find three children, two boys and a girl, racing around a large room that contained a small selection of toys, books and board games in addition to three unmade beds. The smallest child, one of the girls, shrieked again as the boy darted toward her. She ran over and hid behind the older girl, giggling as the boy chased after her.

Jack looked toward the Doctor, amused yet unsurprised to see the expression of disappointment that was stamped across his face. Clearly he, like Jack, had been expecting to find something more than a child's chase game.

"I thought for sure it was him," the Doctor muttered.

"Who?" Jack asked.

"The Master."

Jack was sombre for a moment as he remembered the Master, recalled what it had been like to die repeatedly at his hand. Then he visualized how it had ended and he looked at the Doctor quizzically. "But he died. I saw it, we all did."

The Doctor met his gaze. "Jack, you know better than anyone that dying doesn't necessarily mean you stay dead."

Viola, who had been watching them curiously spoke up then. "Why would he know that? What do you mean?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Jack can't die." he looked a Viola carefully. "Don't you sense it? The wrongness of him? He shouldn't exist."

Viola shook her head. "No, there's too much wrongness in my head already today. I can't make sense of any of it." She shut her eyes and breathed deeply, rubbing at her temples with her fingers.

Jack watched as the Doctor studied the young girl carefully with that piercing gaze of his. "Are you all right?"

Viola huffed, stomping her foot once as she placed her hands on her hips. "Why does everyone keep asking me that today? I'm fine okay? I just wanna find my mum, is that so wrong?"

Taken aback by her outburst the Doctor crouched down to look at her directly. "No, it's not wrong," he finally said in a soft voice. "We will find her. I promise. But right now, I'm worried about you. That's all."

Viola's shoulders slumped and she looked at him sheepishly. "I'll be okay, I just want to finish this. You were talking about someone called the Master?"

The Doctor nodded. "Right. The Master." He fixed his gaze on Jack as he spoke and something about the look in his eyes told Jack that Viola wasn't fine and this worried the Doctor. It worried him very much.

It was Viola who noticed the oddity first. While the Doctor and Jack debated the plausibility of the Master being alive and somehow involved, she approached the centre of the room where the three children were still chasing each other. She frowned as she watched them, thinking it was strange that even though they were showing signs of being tired, they weren't slowing down.

The youngest child navigated her way through a maze of piled boxes that were covered with old paint sheets. She moved with an agility that was unusual for a child so young and Viola studied her carefully, noticing that she kept moving in the exact same pattern and at the exact same speed. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion and her brow dripped with sweat, yet she continued to move, her strides even and deliberate.

Quickly shifting her attention to the older children, Viola saw that they too were moving in a very deliberate pattern. Curious to see what would happen, Viola approached the boy and started to introduce herself, but he merely shoved her out of his way and continued running.

_emThere's definitely something unnatural going on here,/em_Viola thought to herself.

"Doctor?" she called, keeping her eyes fixed on the three children. She wasn't sure why, but she felt it was important not to stop watching them.

He looked up, pausing in his conversation with Jack. "Yeah?"

"There's something strange about the way these children are playing." She risked a quick glance his way.

His eyes lit with interest. "Is there?"

He and Jack came to join her and together they watched.

"Hmmm." The Doctor studied the three children meticulously for a moment before pulling out the sonic screwdriver again. He scanned them each in turn, his frown increasing with each reading. "What?" he said finally. He shook the device as though it were at fault and scanned them again.

"It's not normal, is it?" Viola asked him.

He was still glaring at the screwdriver. "No, it's not." He fiddled with a setting, his tongue between his teeth as he concentrated. "I wonder..."

Viola and Jack watched as he pointed it at the oddly shaped piles of boxes. A second later the piles emitted sparks and all three children collapsed to the floor. Jack ran over to them, taking their pulse and checking them over. He nodded to the Doctor indicating that they were okay while Viola and the Doctor approached the piles.

The Doctor pulled the sheet off and tore several boxes away revealing an oddly shaped metal pillar.

"What is it?" Viola asked, reaching out to touch it.

"No, don't touch it." The Doctor pulled her hand away. "If I'm not mistaken, it's a turboplexihexitron converter."

Viola gasped and leapt away. "From Tritriplehexalon?"

"I'm afraid so." The Doctor pulled the sheets off of three more piles, revealing more of the metal pillars.

"Who would be crazy enough to bring one of those to Earth? The atmospheric pressure here would make it highly unstable."

The Doctor winked at her appreciatively. "That's what I love about you, Viola. You're always asking the right questions."

She beamed. "I learned from the best." She glanced over at Jack who was slowly rousing the three children. They looked a bit dazed but otherwise unharmed. "Okay, so who was it? This "Master" of yours?"

The Doctor stared into space pensively. "That seems the most likely explanation." He circled the converter. "Just what are you up to?" he muttered under his breath, just loud enough that Viola could still hear him.

"Wait." Viola frowned again as her thoughts whirred. "Aren't these machines powered by Garlixitronic gas? You can't get that on Earth, so how can it be working?"

The Doctor tilted his head, considering her question before bounding over to her and planting a wet, sloppy kiss on her forehead. "Yes! That's it!" he exclaimed. "You're brilliant, you are!"

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Jack asked as he rejoined them.

The Doctor snapped his fingers excitedly. "It's the children!"

"The children?" Viola and Jack cried in unison.

"Yes! He's somehow managed to tap into their biometric energy. They weren't playing a game before, they were following a preset program that created enough electrical charge to stimulate the energy given by Garlixitronic gasses."

A series of loud, exaggerated claps from behind them caused them all to turn in surprise.

"Bravo," said a main with shortly clipped dark hair and a grin more manic than the Doctor's. "You always were good at making deductions, Doctor."

He nodded his head and three guards dressed in black materialized from nowhere to flank them.

The Doctor attempted to pull out the sonic screwdriver but the man merely laughed and zapped it with a metal object that he held loosely in his hand. "Ah, ah, ah," he said gleefully. "None of that. Can't have you ruining my show, after all."

The guards moved in and Viola soon found her arms bound behind her back as she was tied to one of the metal rods from the turboplexihexitron convertor. Jack and the Doctor were tied to two of the other rods and another person, whom Viola couldn't see, had been tied to the fourth.

"Now do you believe me that he's alive?" the Doctor was asking Jack, through gritted teeth.

Jack grimaced as the guard tightened the ropes on his wrists. "Now? You're asking for validation now?" Jack shook his head in disbelief. "Yes, Doctor, I believe you. The Master is alive. Now can we please concentrate on how to get out of here?"

The Master approached Jack and raised his chin so that the captain was looking him directly in the eye. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, and spoil my fun?"

He stepped away and Viola gasped as shots were fired and Jack's head fell forward limply. She knew from the earlier conversation that he wouldn't stay dead, but still the sight made her feel sick to her stomach.

The Master was grinning and had his hands clasped in front of him. His finger tips tapped together as he sneered at the Doctor. "But yes, please tell me Doctor, how em_will/em_you get out of this one? Have you got some other poor soul out there trying to rile the spirits of the human populace?" He threw back his head and laughed, a sound so mad and cruel it sent shivers down Viola's spine. Whoever this man was, Viola didn't like him. Not one little bit.

#


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Master was gloating. Not that the Doctor was at all surprised. He'd always been the type to boast, particularly when he thought he had one up on the Doctor. Of course, the Doctor knew he could get them out of this in the end, he just wasn't exactly sure how at the moment.

Ignoring the Master, he glanced over at Jack just as he gasped back to life. The Doctor shuddered. Even though he'd accepted this new, long living Jack, it still made him incredibly uncomfortable.

His gaze shifted to Viola who seemed to be wincing in pain when she thought no one was looking. The Doctor's earlier concern returned and he gently attempted to nudge his way into her consciousness to find out what was happening. As her thoughts began to filter into his head, he winced at the utter chaos that he found there. Her mind was a mess of piercing pain and fragmented thoughts - not all of them her own. He probed a bit deeper and the images became even more scattered - Rose, Jackie, Pete, a little boy he didn't recognize, Ood, Donna, Daleks… DALEKS! He was so startled by that revelation that it took him a moment to notice it, but when he did he nearly gasped aloud.

Right there, in the centre of her mind, was the crack. And not just an image of the crack from her memories but the crack itself, glowing white with its jagged upside down smile. Viola noticed his presence then, but instead of the anger he'd expected, he was met with fear. She'd seen it too.

_What's wrong with me, Doctor? _

_I'm not certain, but I have some theories. Don't worry, I'll fix it. I don't know how, but I promise you, you'll be okay." _

_Thank you._ Viola's mind began to cloud over then and the Doctor found himself being abruptly thrust out. When he looked over at her again he could see that she'd lost consciousness and she was beginning to fade.

"What's wrong with the girl?" The Master asked curiously walking over to her. He touched a finger to her cheek and her image grew stronger, but when he pulled his hand away, she faded again. "Interesting."

"Leave her alone!" Jack shouted.

"My, my, my. We are protective of this wee one." The Master met the Doctor's eyes. "Just who is she, Doctor? You're not keeping secrets from me, are you?" The Doctor knew the attack was coming and braced himself for it, slamming his mental guards into place just seconds before the Master attempted to break his way through. They stood facing each other, engaged in a vicious battle of wills. It took all of his energy to keep the shields up during the attack, but eventually the Master relented.

He approached the Doctor slowly, stopping only when his mouth hovered right over the Doctor's ear. "This isn't over," he breathed, before pulling away and walking toward the fourth pillar. "I'm surprised," he said loudly, his tone changing. "That none of you have asked about her." He reached out and stroked his hand through a mane of blond hair. The Doctor felt his hearts sink.

"Rose!" Jack's voice was strained. "What have you done to her?"

The Master laughed and directed his next comment at the Doctor. "You really thought I'd leave her alone? After what you did to me on the Valiant?"

"What I did? You nearly destroyed the entire human race!" The Doctor glared at him.

The Master scoffed. "You always were a human lover." He looked at Rose who was clearly unconscious.  
>"Although, I have to say you have great taste, she's a looker, this one."<br>The Doctor thought he was going to be ill as he watched the Master leer at her. "Leave her alone!"

Predictably, the Master ignored him and ran his fingers delicately over her cheek. "But she's more than just an ordinary human, isn't she, Doctor? Not just anyone can look into the heart of a TARDIS and survive." He placed his hand over her abdomen. "And not just anyone could heal themselves from a wound as severe as this."

Both the Doctor and Jack gasped as the Master suddenly raised his hand and slapped Rose across the face.

"Time to wake up, Rose."

She groaned and the Doctor saw her head roll to the side as she regained consciousness. The Master clapped his hands loudly. "Come on Rose, a little faster please, we're on a bit of a schedule, and you're the main event!"

Rose's eyes opened and she moaned. The Master grabbed her hair and pulled her head up with it as though she were a puppet. "That's a girl!"

When she spoke, her voice was faint, but clear. "Leave. Me. Alone."

The Master laughed and backed away. "Right. We're ready, I think!" He clapped his hands and suddenly about a dozen people in lab coats came out and began working at computers that had been hidden in the walls. "Oh,  
>Doctor, you're going to love this part!" The Master bounded over to one of the computers and leaned over the shoulder of the lab technician. "Start program E alpha 12."<p>

"Doctor?" Rose's voice was still incredibly quiet. "Doctor, you're here?"

"Yes, Rose, I'm here." He twisted his head, trying to look at her. She was doing the same. "So is Jack, and Viola."

She frowned. "Viola? Who's Viola?"

The Doctor's hearts stilled. How had she forgotten her daughter? He was suddenly incredibly glad that Viola was unconscious. He glanced over at her, she was still faint, but visible. Assured he turned back to Rose.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, avoiding her question.

"Yeah, I think so." Her brow furrowed. "Doctor, what happened? The last thing I remember is being on that planet, trying to crawl away from the arrows and then I woke up in here, covered in blood while that man over there babbled some nonsense about turbohexi something or other."

"It's a turboplexihexitron converter." The Doctor said automatically as he processed the information she'd just given him. This was the Rose he'd rescued from the past, not Viola's mother. Which perhaps explained why Viola was still hanging onto existence and her Rose had vanished, but it didn't explain Donna's part in it. None of it really made any sense and trying to figure it out made his head ache. He tried to focus his attention on this Rose again instead - the Rose whom he'd thought had died. The Rose who he now realized, shouldn't exist in this reality at all.

Having given his orders, the Master returned to them as the poles they were tied to began to warm up. "You're wondering how I did it, aren't you? How I brought your precious Rose to me."

Wanting to buy them some time, the Doctor nodded. If he could just keep the Master talking he might be able to get them out of this mess... somehow.

"It was quite simple, really. I admit, when that Noble woman vanished from thin air, I thought the jig was up, but then my scientists discovered something in the particles that she left behind, something that only one who's travelled with you could have left." He sneered. "You always did like ginger, didn't you Doctor?"

"Donna was here?" Jack wanted to know. "And then she vanished. I never should have sent her on  
>this mission."<p>

"Mission? What? _You_ sent Donna here?" The Doctor glared at Jack. "Why would you do something like that? Don't you know that she could be destroyed if she remembers her life travelling with me?"

"Yes, actually, I did know. Not that _you_ bothered to tell me." Jack shot back. "Didn't you think that maybe that was a vital piece of information I should know? I only found out because I came by her house to offer her a job with Torchwood and luckily her grandfather filled me in before I'd had a chance to say anything by accident."

Jack had a point. In hindsight, the Doctor realized he probably should have told Jack the truth, Martha and Mickey too, but he'd been so wrapped up in the pain of having lost Rose and Donna that it hadn't even occurred to him.  
>"Yes, well, perhaps I <em>could<em> have been more forthcoming but I really didn't have time for another visit. There were things to do, places to be, people to save. Besides, I figured you and your Torchwood spies would know anyway. You stilll haven't explained what any of this has to do with why Donna was _here_."

Jack sighed. "After I found out the truth, I wanted to find a way to help Donna reach her full potential without risking her memories returning. So I contacted her agency under a pseudonym and started to find more challenging temp jobs to send Donna on. Eventually, I created a fake company as a front and hired her to work there and to investigate certain mysteries for me on the side."

"She didn't recognize you?"

"She never met me. Our only contact was through email. She knows me by the name FOB."  
>The Doctor started to laugh despite himself. "FOB? Really?"<p>

Jack looked perplexed, clearly not getting the joke. "I thought I'd told you about that once before? It stands for Face of Boe - I used to be called that, back home. I figured it was something safe that Donna wouldn't be able to connect to me or Torchwood."

For a moment the Doctor wished Martha were there - she'd get it. "That's a good point, but it still doesn't explain why Donna was here, with _him_." He used his head to gesture to the Master, even as he slowly worked his hands free... he was nearly there.

"I didn't know he was involved. If I had, I swear I would have taken care of this myself. I thought it was just a simple missing children case."

"Where are the children?" The Doctor asked, suddenly noticing that they were gone.

"Oh, I let them go home," the Master said in a bored tone. "They'd served their purpose."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows - it wasn't like the Master to just let people go.

"I'm not as evil as you think I am," the Master told him. Then he laughed. "Oh, all right, I am, but in this case they weren't the point. And if you're done with your little love spat, I'd like it if you'd pay attention to me. I believe I was explaining how I came to kidnap the lovely Miss Tyler before I was so rudely interrupted."

The Doctor had one hand free now but he kept it firmly behind his back as he worked on the other one. "Please, do enlighten us then."

"Thank you," the Master grinned. "I've been experimenting ever since we last met, Doctor, and I discovered something wonderful."

"Really? What's that?" The Doctor continued to slowly free his other hand.

"It turns out that time travel leaves a trail. Did you know that? You probably do, you're always disgustingly quick with these things." The Master held up his hand to silence any retort the Doctor may have had. "Please let me finish. I'm just getting to the good part. You see, the particles in this trail were all we needed to give us the ability to create a transmitter that would attract anyone who'd travelled with you, to us instantly. There was a slight mix up when that Noble woman appeared instead of Rose, but we were able to get stronger particles after her and with a little tweaking I was able to zero in on little Miss Rose Tyler and TADA!" The Master raised his arms with a flourish. "She was like putty in my hands."

A loud beeping sound filled the room and the Master brought his hands together. "Excellent! I think we're ready! Keep your eyes open, Doctor, it's going to be quite the show."

As the Master threw his head back to laugh, the Doctor finally worked his second hand free. Taking advantage of the other man's distraction, he tackled the Master and both Time Lords fell to the floor.

_TBC_**  
><strong>


	15. Chapter 14

"Could you have at least untied me first?" Jack shouted to the Doctor as he watched with a mixture of horror and amusement as the Doctor and the Master rolled around the floor in something reminiscent of two school boys duking it out on the playground. As they tousled, the machine came to life and a massive amount of energy seemed to spill into the centre of the four columns.

Rose screamed, causing the Doctor to look her way. This gave the Master the advantage and he stood above the Doctor, hands grasped around his neck.

Knowing he had to move quickly to avert disaster, Jack began to work his own hands free. A quick glance showed him that Viola had awoken and was struggling against her own bonds. Rose let out another scream and Jack turned her way. A lump began forming in his throat as he saw what was happening. There was an ethereal yellow glow around her that was being drawn out of her by the metal column.

With a final tug, Jack broke free and quickly untied Viola, before running toward Rose. He'd nearly reached her when the Master shouted, "Stop him!"

Three guards came at him at once and Jack soon found himself struggling hard to fight his way through them. Rose screamed again and he fought harder, but more guards came and Jack could feel himself losing the battle.

Just when he thought all was lost, the guards started to pull away. Surprised, Jack looked up to see Viola standing above him aiming a water gun at the guards.

She grinned at him as she offered him her hand. "It's amazing what this thing can do when you infuse the water with setting 190423." She held up a sonic screwdriver with a purple tip.

"Setting 190423?" Jack inquired, standing up and brushing off his trousers.

Viola flashed her teeth. "Itching powder."

Jack laughed. "Of course."

Another scream from Rose brought them both back to the disaster at hand. Jack saw Viola cast a quick glance toward the Doctor was still wrestling with the Master. "Come on," Viola said, slipping her hand into Jack's. "It's up to us. We have to save my mum."

"That's not your mum," Jack told her as they ran.

"It is." Viola insisted.

"No. She didn't know who you were when she woke up."

"So she lost her memory somehow. She did vanish out of thin air after all. Trust, me, that's my mum and we have to help her." Viola ran faster, tugging Jack after her.

"Viola," Jack warned, he had a bad feeling about all of this.

"Fine, I'll help her myself." Viola pulled out of his grasp and sprinted the rest of the distance to Rose.

Jack watched helplessly as she climbed up onto the platform that joined the four pillars and pointed her sonic screwdriver at the binds on Rose's wrists.

As soon as she was free, Rose keeled over, crying out in pain. Even though she was no longer attached to the metal rod, the yellow light was still being drained from her.

"Mum!" Viola shouted, "Mum, are you okay?"

She scrambled over to her, and as she was reaching out to comfort her, the Doctor shouted. "No, Viola, no, no, no, you can't touch her, it will create -"

But he was too late, the moment Viola rested her arm over Rose's shoulder there was a massive burst of white and golden light which mingled with the energy in the centre of the converter. The light and energy crackled and expanded and before Jack could process what was happening, he was thrown across the room by a giant explosion. He landed with a painful crack as his head hit the floor and everything went black.

#

The Doctor moaned. He and the Master had been tossed in opposite directions by the explosion and he was free. He rubbed at his neck as he got to his feet and surveyed the scene before him.

It wasn't good. The explosion had caused serious damage to the warehouse, of course, but that wasn't what had set the Doctor's hearts pumping. Standing in the middle of the ruined converter was a group of people the Doctor recognized all too well and he couldn't say he was especially glad to see them.

Someone on the other side of the room groaned and the Doctor saw took the sound as an opportunity to put off dealing with the newcomers. He wasn't ready to think about what their presence meant. It was Viola who had made the sound and he watched her slowly rise to her feet. They both glanced down at Rose who was lying still on the floor next to her. Their eyes met and he could see that Viola was troubled.

"This is my fault," she whispered.

He went to her then, pulling her into his arms. "No, it's mine. I took her from her proper time stream and I shouldn't have."

"No, you shouldn't have." The tallest of the newcomers spoke, his voice booming and commanding.

From somewhere behind him, Jack spoke. "Who are you?"

The man ignored him, his gazed fixed steadily on the Doctor who was staring right back, and not kindly. "Doctor, you have much to answer to."

The Doctor's pulse began to race. How were they even here? The Time Lords were supposed to be stuck in the time lock. He started to ask, but the man held out his hand to stop him.

"There is not time for such trivial questions. Your actions have threatened the very fabric of all reality."

"Your actions?" The Master had regained consciousness and was now gaping at the Doctor. "What could Mr. 'I always do everything in my power to save everyone' have possibly done to get this kind of attention?" He began to laugh hysterically.

"Silence!" The Time Lord the Doctor had known as Rassilon shouted. "We will discuss your indiscretions later."

"My indiscretions?"

"I said, silence!" Rassilon was looking at the Doctor again. "Time is bleeding into itself. Realities are folding into each other, and the entire universe is beginning to implode. Fixed time has become fluid, bending and changing at its own will."

Realization dawned. "That's why you were able to get out of the time lock." The Doctor muttered.

"Oh, it's more than that, Doctor. Much more. It isn't just us."

His eyes widened. "The Daleks?"

Rassilon nodded. "Everyone trapped by the time lock has just been released. The war has resumed. The universe is dying, Doctor."

The Doctor closed his eyes. No, no, no, no this couldn't be happening. He had sacrificed everything to prevent that war from destroying the universe and now it seemed that had all been in vain.

"I don't think I need to tell you how serious this is," Rassilon continued. "By deliberately altering fixed points in time and trying to bend the universe to your own selfish will, not only have you have placed the very existence of those you care about at risk, but you've also managed to create an irreparable crack in the universe."

The Doctor recalled the crack he had seen in Viola's mind and he winced. He'd caused that. For a moment he thought he was going to be ill.

"My, my, my, we have been naughty." The Master interrupted gleefully.

Rassilon turned to him, and the way the Master shrank under his steely gaze bordered on comical."As for you, your childish vendetta against the Doctor has managed to make the situation worse. Since your little _emdisplay/em_ here," Rassilon gestured to the debris from the explosion, "thousands more cracks have appeared."

"Vendetta?" the Master denied. "This had nothing to do with a vendetta. Well, all right, it kind of did, but that wasn't the point. Ironically enough, the whole point of all this was to pair the TARDIS energy from Rose with the energy from the turboplexihexitron converter in order to create enough power to return Gallifrey to its rightful place in the universe."

"If that's so, then you are as much to blame for this disaster as he." Rassilon glared at the Doctor. "And as such you will help him fix it."

"But -" The Master started to argue.

Rassilon ignored him and turned his attention to Viola. "As for the child, she will not be punished for her part in this. The paradox she inadvertently caused a moment ago has been prevented, albeit temporarily." He smiled at her briefly then continued. "It's taken what little power we have left to reverse the paradox, and that, combined with the fact that we should technically no longer exist means we can't fix this. It has to be you. By our calculations, you have exactly three hours to make this right before all of reality is destroyed forever."

With that, he banged his staff on the platform three times and he and the rest of the Time Lords who had come with him vanished, leaving Viola, Jack, the Master and the Doctor wondering what to do next.

#

Viola stared open mouthed at the space where the people in fancy robes had been standing. She'd created a paradox? And they'd prevented it? She winced and the act brought the earlier pain she'd experienced back with a vengeance, complete with vicious nausea. She swallowed and took a deep breath, willing herself to block out the pain. Once her shields were in place and she could think clearly again, she consciously reflected on the Time Lords themselves.

She'd heard about the Time Lords before, of course. Her father had been telling her stories about Gallifrey since she was an infant and she'd always mourned its loss. She'd grown up thinking that the Time Lords would be like her father, not like those men, all stuffy and formal and proper. They were positively frightening.

Although, she had to admit to herself that most of that fright was due to what they'd said. She felt a chill down her back as she was reminded again of the paradox, and the crack and all of the chaos that was happening in the universe at this very moment.

Three hours and the entire universe would just be gone? She couldn't even begin to wrap her head around it. And worse, the Doctor, a man so like her father and yet not, had caused it to happen. Viola couldn't even fathom such a thing. She'd known he'd done some things he shouldn't have, of course, but she hadn't realized just how bad it was; how far he'd gone.

She looked over at him now. He was curled in a heap, his hands over his eyes and his shoulders were shaking. He looked so sad, so lost and even though a part of her was very, very mad at him, it broke her hearts to see him so crippled. She thought of her father and how he'd been. He would never have done something like this, she thought. For the first time it occurred to her that he and her father had once been the same man. What had happened to him since that split to make him so different from the man she'd known her whole life?

_emHe was alone./em_ The answer came to Viola so vividly that it startled her even as it pained her. It made sense though – from what she knew of him, he'd left her mother and father on a beach in her world before doing something to Donna's memories which made it so she could no longer travel with him. It didn't seem likely to her that he'd travel with someone else, but even if he had, they were clearly gone now too because he'd been alone since she met him (Rose who wasn't her mother notwithstanding). The thought of him so sad, so lonely and broken that he'd unknowingly risk the universe just to find a bit of happiness made Viola's eyes well with tears and she went to him then, clinging to him as he dealt with the emotional fallout of the Time Lords' revelation.

"You missed her, didn't you?" she asked quietly when the worst of his grief had passed.

He nodded. "So much."

"I miss her, too." Viola whispered.

The Doctor looked up then, meeting her eyes and a sense of understanding passed between them. "I'm sorry. I... I had no idea... that's not an excuse but if I had just waited, been patient..."

Viola took his hand and held it tightly, taking care to hold his gaze. Wordlessly, she forgave him for putting her and her mother at risk and he smiled at her gratefully squeezing her hand.

Jack cleared his throat and both Viola and the Doctor jumped. He was standing a few feet away, his hand firmly grasped around the Master's arm as the Master struggled to get free. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we're on a bit of a time crunch here and we really should get going before things get any worse."

"Right." The Doctor's voice grew stronger as he rose to his feet, his hand still clinging to Viola's.

"I think I'll just leave you to it then," said the Master, who had been watching the exchange between Viola and the Doctor with a mixture of disdain and disgust. He tried to pull away from Jack, but Jack seemed to just hold on tighter.

"Oh, no." Jack told him. "You heard the Time Lords, you helped cause this, you're going to help fix it. Besides, you really think we're going to leave you on your own so you can make things worse?"

The Master scowled. "How do you know I won't make things worse by coming with you?"

"Because I've got this!" Jack said proudly, holding up the Master's laser screwdriver.

"Hey, that's mine. Give that back." The Master tried to swipe it back but Jack held it out of his reach.

"Behave yourself and you might get it back when all of this is over." Jack was grinning and Viola had a feeling he was really enjoying himself.

The Doctor tugged lightly on her hand, drawing Viola's attention back to him. He led her back to where the Rose who wasn't her mum was lying. She'd been unconscious since the blast, though Viola had felt a pulse before the Time Lords had distracted them all. "I think I know where to start in trying to fix this." He looked down at her sadly.

"We have to return her to her proper timeline," Viola said slowly, following his train of thought.

"Exactly. It won't fix everything, but it's a start." He started to pick Rose up and she moaned, causing the Doctor to pause, the expression on his face uncertain.

Viola placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, you can do this. If it works, we might get Mum back."

The Doctor nodded and gathered Rose into his arms. Then, without glancing back, he lead the way to the TARDIS with the rest of them trailing behind.  
>#<p>

6


	16. Chapter 15

Jack was pensive as he watched the Doctor lay Rose reverently on the captain's chair of the TARDIS before sombrely powering up the engines in preparation for their upcoming journey.

Although a part of him had been shocked to discover that the Doctor had recently acted recklessly, another part of him was mentally kicking himself for not having seen this coming. When he had discovered the truth about Donna he should have gone looking for the Doctor, should have made sure he was all right. He was certain the Doctor had blamed himself for everything and that the guilt had likely eaten away at him until he was no longer thinking clearly. Jack still wasn't entirely positive what exactly the Doctor had done beyond removing Rose from her proper timeline but it must have been bad for the Time Lords to be getting involved.

The TARDIS jerked to a stop and Jack lost his grip on the Master as he grappled for something to hold onto to aVoid falling. The Master, who had kept his balance perfectly, took advantage of his sudden freedom by dashing toward the exit, but Viola acted quickly and beat him to the door, blocking his way as she glared at him scathingly.

The Doctor ignored them and knelt beside Rose. Jack watched as he touched her gently on the cheek and whispered her name. Rose moaned and opened her eyes. The Doctor leaned forward and whispered something into her ear which Jack couldn't hear and Rose nodded, slowly rising and coming to stand beside him.

The Doctor took her hand then addressed Jack. "I need to do this alone. Stay here with the Master and Viola?"

Jack nodded. "Of course."

"Thanks. I won't be long."

As the Doctor guided Rose down the ramp and out the door, Viola tugged the reluctant and scowling Master up to the captain's chair. "Sit," she ordered.

"You really expect me to take orders from a little girl?" the Master asked bitterly starting to stand. "You are out of your league, darling."

Viola lifted some grating and procured some rope. She glared at him. "I'm _emnot/em_little."

She tossed the rope to Jack and he quickly secured the Master's arms and legs before he could go anywhere.

"How am I supposed to help you if I'm all tied up?" The Master asked.

Jack ignored him and focused instead on the door to the TARDIS where the Doctor had just re-emerged.

"That was quick."

The Doctor's lips were drawn tightly and he looked strained, as though he was trying to control his emotions.

"It's done." He walked to the console and methodically turned some dials and punched some buttons. "We need to - "

There was a sudden burst of white light that filled the room and the TARDIS began to shudder so violently that debris started to rain down upon them. A scream filled the air as the shaking stopped and the light faded as abruptly as it had come.

Jack blinked, unable to believe his eyes. Viola was gone, and a large glowing crack shaped like an upside down smile was in her place.

#

"Viola!" The Doctor sprinted to the crack, reaching toward it without thought, as though it would somehow bring the child back.

"Doctor, no, don't touch it!" Jack was right behind him, gripping him around the waist pulling him away from the crack even as the Doctor fought him, flailing his arms, trying desperately to reach out to where Viola had been.

"I have to get to her, I have to get her back." He knew the thought wasn't rational, but the instant she'd vanished and the crack had appeared in her place he'd known she wasn't just going to blink back into existence this time. He'd seen this crack in her mind and the fact that it was now here, in his TARDIS and growing with each passing second meant that Viola was either gone for good or in very grave danger.

"Doctor," Jack was saying calmly. "You won't be able to fix any of this if you don't think it through. We don't really know what the crack is, or what will happen to you if you touch it. We can't risk making things worse. We've only got two and a half hours left."

The Doctor stopped struggling. Jack was right. He was useless to Viola like this. And Rose. And Donna. And the universe. What was wrong with him? The whole universe was at stake and he was panicking. He never panicked. When had that happened? When had he started putting his own selfish needs above all else? When had he become this mess of a Time Lord that he didn't recognize?

He'd made a shambles of things already and it had to stop. He was out of control, he admitted to himself. Somewhere along the way, without knowing it, he'd become the threat instead of the hero and he hated himself for it.

"Oh, quit your self loathing." The Master spat. "It's so tiresome. You blame yourself – we get it! Now get over it!"

The Doctor glared at him. "Fine." He pulled away from Jack, who had loosened his grasp now that he wasn't worried the Doctor would throw himself into the crack. "Let's find out what we're dealing with then."

The sonic screwdriver made an abnormally high pitched sound as he aimed it at the crack and after precisely eleven seconds it began to spark, causing Jack and the Doctor to jump back. When the excitement stopped, the Doctor inserted the screwdriver into the console and a series of readings came up on the screen, moving from bottom to top in rapid succession.

The results of the scan were dire – the crack contained more energy that ten thousand nuclear power plants and it was using that energy to absorb reality, and by extension, time. This crack was at the root of the chaos, and the Doctor knew that he'd have to seal it somehow to stop it from absorbing the universe. The question was how.

A piercing ring broke through his thoughts and he glanced up to see Jack on the phone.

"They what? Woah, wait, Gwen, slow down..." He was frowning. Bad news then.

Jack listened to the caller for a few seconds, his brow furrowing further and further as time passed. "I'll be there as fast as I can."

"Trouble in paradise?" The Master jeered from the captain's chair.

"Something like that." Jack looked at the crack, then met the Doctor's gaze. "There's been a drastic increase in unusual and alien activity at the rift in the past few hours. My team needs me..."

The Doctor nodded. "Go. It's okay."

"You're sure?"

The Doctor sighed and grabbed the wrist that Jack kept his broken vortex manipulator on. He zapped it with the sonic screwdriver, ensuring it was set to the correct frequency so it would work. "I'm sure."

"Okay." Jack placed his other hand over the manipulator so that it was hovering just above the button. "Oh, and Doctor?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows quizzically.

"Don't do anything stupid." There was a zap and a brief flash of light and then Jack was gone.

#

The Master watched with relative disinterest as the Doctor gaped at the space where Jack had just been.

When the Doctor failed to move at all, the Master sighed.

"As much as I hate to break up your goodbye to loverboy, can we just get this over with? I have better things to do, you know."

The Doctor spun around, his eyes filled with fire and ice and rage. The Master grinned. He took particular pleasure from seeing the Doctor lose control like this.

"You have better things to do?" he spat, approaching the Master. "The universe is about to _emend/em _and all you can say is you have better things to do? How dare you be so selfish!"

The Master scoffed. "Me?" he laughed. "You're calling me selfish? Oh, that's rich considering what you've just done. I never thought I'd see the day when you would break the rules."

"You have no right to judge me."

"Don't I? Oh, wait. That's right, you're the only one who's allowed to pass judgment on people. Mr. High and mighty, always knowing what's best for everyone else. Well guess what?" The Master leaned forward, grinning maniacally as he practically spat his next words in the Doctor's face. "You messed up."

"Don't you think I know that? Don't you not realize that it's eating me up inside? Everything I love in the universe is in danger. The woman I love most of all."

"Oh my god. Don't you ever shut up?" The Master rolled his eyes. "Everything with you is always drama, drama, drama. You are NOT the only one with problems you know."

"Right now, my problem is _emeveryone's/em _problem, because if we don't figure out what to do about that - " he pointed at the crack without looking at it. "We're all doomed."

"Must you always be so dramatic? I'm sure those old fuddy duddys were exaggerating."

The Doctor sighed dramatically, tugging impatiently at his hair. "You are impossible!"

"You are an idi—" The Master stopped as a flood of light suddenly began to pour out of the crack, spreading quickly throughout the room, like a thick mist that surrounds a waterfall.

The light began to morph and take form, first as indistinct shapes and then as more distinct figures resembling earth animals and other beings within the universe.

And then, before either the Master or the Doctor could even process what was happening, the creatures descended upon them, now fully formed and clearly displeased. The Master suddenly found himself being attacked by what appeared to be a massive grizzly bear whilst the Doctor was waving his sonic uselessly in the face of a two headed dog-from the planet Enob.

"Do you still think I was being overdramatic?" The Doctor grunted out while he wrestled with the dog.

Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of being right, the Master effortlessly stunned the bear with his laser screwdriver and stood over the Doctor. "What I think," he said, glowering at the Doctor, "Is that you fight like a girl." He lowered a fist over each of the dog's heads, knocking it out cold.

"I had that," the Doctor grumbled as he crawled out from beneath the large beast and brushed himself off.

"Sure you did," the Master sneered.

The Doctor glared at him. "I did."

"Oh, quit your whining and tell me what we're going to do about those." More beings were emerging from the light and advancing upon them. "Or are you just going to let me do the dirty work?"

"Hush, let me think." The Doctor was looking from the rapidly widening crack to the army of creatures. "Fighting them off isn't going to be enough, we have to figure out how to stop them from coming in the first place."

"Can't you just seal the crack?"

"If it was that easy don't you think I'd have done that by now?" The Doctor began to pace, tugging on his hideous mop of hair. "Think, think, think. We know that the paradoxes I accidentally - "

The Master scoffed.

"-created have caused a collapse in the walls between universes and times, and it's all connected to that crack which appeared here after Viola vanished. And, if I'm correct, and I think I am - "

Another snort.

"- this crack, is the same crack that I saw in Viola's mind, which means, it was partially created by Time Lord energy." The Doctor stopped moving and snapped his fingers. "I know how to stop this."

The Master casually stunned three new aliens that were coming toward him. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"

The Doctor rushed toward the crack. "Time Lord energy." He paused to look at the Master. "It's the only way."

With that he dove into the crack. There was a thunderous crash that shook the TARDIS and a massive flash of light and then the crack, the light, the creatures and the Doctor vanished leaving the Master alone in the eerily silent ship.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

As soon as he passed through the crack, the Doctor knew he had made a terrible mistake. For starters, he had foolishly left the Master alone in the TARDIS, free to wreak all sorts of havoc. For another thing, he wasn't dead like he'd expected to be. Like he felt he deserved to be. Instead, he was floating aimlessly through a sea of white mist that seemed to go on forever.

As he floated, he caught glimpses of different time periods and dimensions far beneath him. He saw thirteenth century Earth overflowing with ancient Greek philosophers, Egyptian Kings, Roman Centurions. He spotted ancient civilizations crowded with Alzurian space ships and and twentieth century humans. He identified the planet Flum, now populated by a very confused looking group of Medieval knights, Chinese warriors and orphaned Adipose.

"No, no, no," he shouted as more such sights drifted past. "This should be fixed now. When I jumped into the crack, it should have fixed all this!"

His shouts of protest were met with useless silence than only caused his annoyance and frustration to increase. He closed his eyes, not able to bear the chaos any longer, but not before he caught a glimpse of the Time Lords, fighting a hopeless battle in which the Daleks were emerging as a clear winner.

He had to do something else, something to stop this, to put things back the way they should be. He dug in his pockets for the sonic screwdriver, hoping that it would somehow be able to free him from this white limbo that he seemed to be in. But as he rifled through the myriad of sometimes useful items that he kept in his oversize pockets, he realized, with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, that he didn't have it. He must have dropped it in the TARDIS when he'd jumped.

Trying desperately not to despair, the Doctor forced himself to look at the images below him again. There had to be something he'd missed, some clue, something that could resolve this disaster.

Suddenly, he saw it - in every time period and dimension he could see, there was a commonality. What it was exactly, he wasn't sure, all he could see was a cluster of light. His intuition screamed at him, telling him that this was the key. Before he could dwell on it too closely however, the view vanished and the Doctor was hurtled through the air by some kind of explosion.

All around him, the white light of the crack was bending and shaking, emitting sparks akin to lightning as the instability of the place increased.

Realizing this was probably a latent reaction to his presence within the crack, the Doctor braced himself for the worst. He had brought this upon himself, he deserved it.

And then he heard a scream that made his hearts pump faster. That sounded like -

"Viola!" He called out, frantically scanning the vicinity for her before realizing that he was utterly alone and the scream he'd heard had come from within his mind. Quickly he closed his eyes concentrating as he mentally reached out, trying to feel for the thread in his mind that represented the child. He almost missed it, but then, at the last moment, he found it and followed the weak trail. She was alive. And thinking. And her thoughts were directed at him.

_Doctor, you can't let the crack take you too. Don't give up, not now. All those people… they need you, I need you… _She was screaming in agony again and then her thoughts vanished from his mind.

"No!" he yelled, fighting back against the white light as it compressed and crackled around him. She was right. He couldn't give up now. Not if there was a chance that he could stop it. He had to try.

He rummaged through his pockets again, hoping to find something useful, and finally his hand closed around a small, irregular shaped object. It was risky, but if it worked, he just might be able to get them all out of this mess.

Before he could over-think it and change his mind, the Doctor depressed the purple button in the centre of the crystal and tossed it toward the crack. It exploded, extinguishing the white light and sending him hurtling through a dark abyss.

#

The Master laughed with glee as the Doctor and the crack vanished from his sight.

He began to dance around the room in delight. He'd done it! The Doctor was trapped, and he had full access to the TARDIS!

Wasting no time, the Master quickly began to program the machine to his own whims. In a deep corner of his mind he felt the TARDIS protest, but he ignored her. He was her master now and she'd learn to obey.

He spun a dial and clapped! Oh, it felt good to fly again. He'd have to do some redecorating, for sure, the coral was positively nauseating, but interior design could wait until later, for now, he had a date - of sorts.

The TARDIS materialized at his final destination and the Master bounded through the door. He was on a futuristic planet - one he'd discovered after faking his death and going into hiding following the whole Harry Saxon debacle. He'd come here to lick his wounds, but what he'd found was far more valuable - the chance to bring back his people.

He'd found a scientist here who knew a great deal about Temporal Mechanics and together they'd devised a machine that would return Gallifrey to it's rightful place within the universe. It had required time vortex energy of course, which is why he'd gone after Rose in the first place.

He strode into the command centre he'd built, and spread his arms wide in the air. "Daddy's home."

The room was full of computers, each one powered by a blue spider-like creature with round beady eyes and a veritable plethora of useful limbs that were dancing over keyboards, dials and switches as they followed through with the instructions he'd given them.

His entrance was met with a series of cheerful chirps before they all turned back to focus on their work.

He walked over to a cluster of the Arachnophorias and peered at the high tech computer screen. Here he could see the entirety of the empire he was trying to build.

He grinned, pleased with what he saw. Things were shaping up far better than he'd anticipated. His original plan of course, had been to lure Rose into his trap and use her to help him bring back Gallifrey so he could overthrow it and take over as the ruler of his people. But now he had an even greater opportunity. Thanks to the Doctor's idiocy and weakness for human companions, he'd made the universe vulnerable and the Master intended to exploit that vulnerability to his own advantage.

It couldn't have been more perfect if he'd planned it himself, particularly the bit where the Doctor had, predictably, tried to play the hero and trapped himself inside that cursed crack. Whether the Doctor was dead or just stuck, the Master didn't care. He wasn't his problem anymore.

He'd contacted his minions on this planet as soon as the TARDIS was his, and already they were working on his problem, trying to gain control of each of the time periods and planets the Doctor had spun into chaos. So far they'd secured about half of them and progress on the rest was rapid. Sadly, Gallifrey was a loss - the Daleks were winning and as soon as he could, he'd have to reinstate the time lock in order to protect his new empire. But that didn't matter. He'd have much more power this way, and, as an added bonus he wouldn't have to deal with those stuffy old cronies any longer.

Unable to hold in his mirth any longer the Master threw back his head and laughed. He'd won.

#

Jack left Gwen to finish securing the holding cells that were now overflowing with people and beings out of their natural time and place, and sat down at the console near Tosh's old desk to take stock of the situation. He flicked through several CCTV images, all depicting similar instances of misplacement and chaos.

He leaned forward onto the desk, rubbing his eyes as he contemplated what he should do. By his calculations, they had less than an hour left of the time limit the Time Lords had stated and from what he could tell, the Doctor was no closer to solving the mess. Jack was about to program his Vortex Manipulator to return him to the TARDIS when something on the screen caught his eye.

It was the same CCTV image Jack had examined a few moments before, only now there was something new. It was something that glowed - a yellowish, almost golden light that started in a central point and emanated outward. As the light spread, any being that was out of its proper time or place seemed to return to where it belonged. Jack flicked through the CCTV channels again, and on every one he saw the same thing. Jack hooted in triumph. He wasn't sure exactly how, but the Doctor had done it again, he'd saved the universe.

The Master's jubilance had been short lived and now he was angry. He glared at the computer screen as yet another one of the planets that he'd thought he'd won was fixed right before his eyes.

He mentally cursed the Doctor, wishing him a thousand painful regenerations before attempting in vain to reclaim what was his. He was just about to press the mauve button that would launch an attack on the planet when he felt something cold and hard press against his back.

"Not so fast."

The Doctor groaned and tried to get to his feet but immediately discovered that movement was painful so instead he just lay there, trying to focus on his surroundings. A quick survey with his eyes told him that the white light was gone and he was in complete darkness. Where he was exactly wasn't clear. He frowned. In fact, it was odd, just how little he could see. Normally he had excellent night vision.

Deciding to dwell on such trivial problems later, he focused his attention on what he could hear instead. Which again, was nothing. Where was he? What had happened? The last thing he remembered was pulling the Baliturgitan crystal out of his pocket, activating it and tossing it into the crack. He hadn't known exactly what would happen, but he'd suspected there could be an explosion due to the instability of Baliturgitan matter. In hindsight, given the pain he was still experiencing, he admitted to himself that it was probably a stupid move, but still he'd had to do something, and it seemed like the crack was gone. At least, he no longer appeared to be in it.

Which brought him back to where he was now. He was about to attempt movement again so he could investigate, but before he could even take another breath, the sky around him began to brighten. It was slow at first, but he could now make out the shapes of mountains and buildings in the distance. He recognized the architecture immediately - 86th century earth.

The strange golden glow that was illuminating his surroundings seemed to be getting closer, and while the Doctor was still trying to work out the source of the light, the culprit came to a stop near his head. It was a person, a woman, and she looked down at him through the glow with a mixture of relief and impatience.

"Oi! Are you just going to lie there like a useless lump all day? There's a universe needs saving!"

He blinked, completely baffled by the familiar face above him. "Donna?"

Jack was pissed.

After the misplaced beings in his care had mysteriously returned to their rightful locations, he'd quickly secured his team and used the Vortex Manipulator to return to the Doctor in the hopes of helping with the rest of the clean up.

What he'd found instead, was an empty TARDIS and a laboratory filled with spider creatures that were doing the Master's dirty work. The Master was amid them frantically trying to make an even bigger mess of everything.

Which is what had made Jack angry. No one paid him any heed as he stormed across the room and held a laser to the Master's back.

After luring him away from the computer, Jack tied him to chair and demanded, "Where's the Doctor?"

The Master laughed. "That fool finally did something right - at least I thought he had - the idiot went all heroic and threw himself into that Crack. I'm sure he thought his sacrifice would undo everything he'd done. Seems he's not as dead as I thought though," he lowered his voice and muttered, "Meddling imbecile has managed to ruin everything - again!"

It was painful, but the Doctor let Donna help him up even as a million questions formed in his mind.

"Quit that. I'll tell you everything. Just think more quietly will you? I've got enough racket going on here as it is."

The Doctor gaped at her. "You remember?"

"Of course I remember, you daft ninny. No thanks to you, I might add."

"Your life was at risk."

"Yeah, well, I'm fine now, aren't I?"

"How? How are you fine now?"

"Rose."

His hearts skipped a beat, proper explanations could wait. "Rose? Where is she?" He looked behind her. "Is she with you?"

Donna paused before she answered. "She's a little busy at the moment." She said finally.

"Busy? Doing what?"

The slap came so quickly he didn't even have time to brace for it. "Cleaning up your mess. When did you become such an idiot?"

He rubbed his cheek. "I… uh…" He wasn't even sure how to answer that. "How —"

Donna took his arm and pulled him along with her as she walked. "Sorry, Spaceman, we don't have time for this right now. Time is running out, and your services are required. Where's the TARDIS?"

"Um, I'm not sure," the Doctor admitted.

Donna looked at him with disgust. "You really know how to bungle things when you want to, don't you?" she sighed. "Fine, we'll do this the hard way. Brace yourself, it hurts a bit."

She led them over to the edge of the darkness where golden light was pouring out of what he instantly recognized as a tear in the universe.

"But —"

Before he could finish his protest Donna shoved him through the opening. There was no turning back now.


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** My sincere apologies for the lateness of this chapter. Between LJ's issues (it's still not letting me actually post this) and RL it's been impossible to post.

_**Quick note about posting for the next chapter**_: I'm leaving for France on Wednesday and I'm not sure if I'll have internet where we'll be staying on Friday, so to be safe, Chapter 18 will be posted EARLY, so keep your eyes out for it on Wednesday. Chapter 19 will be posted as per usual the following Friday.

****Chapter 17****

"Take me to the Doctor," Jack demanded.

He and the Master were back inside the TARDIS. Jack had already forced him to release the Arachnophoria and shut down all of his operations.

"I can't fly without my hands," the Master snapped, holding up his bound wrists.

The Master watched impatiently as Jack considered him for a moment. He knew the captain didn't trust him, nor should he, as the Master had every intention of flying the TARDIS as far away from the chaos as possible. He'd get rid of Jack and be on his merry way. He smiled innocently however, hoping that Jack would give into the realization that he was the only person besides the Doctor that would be able to fly the TARDIS. He finally seemed to decide that he had no other choice, and the Master had to refrain from grinning as Jack reached out to unlock the chains.

"No funny business, If you try anything I'll lock you up again."

"Yeah, yeah whatever." The Master waved his hand dismissively and strode toward the console.

Jack watched him like a hawk, hovering annoyingly behind his shoulder as he worked.

"Must you hover?"

"Yes."

"You are tiresome, you know that?"

"Tough." Jack shrugged. "Now fly."

The Master glared at him. "I hate you."

"Good. I assure you it's mutual. Now let's get going, there's not much time left."

The Master sighed and pulled a lever. The TARDIS spun into the Vortex, then froze. The lights flickered then went off completely. The emergency lights switched on, bathing the TARDIS in a cool, eerie blue glow.

A hologram of the Doctor appeared and the Master swore. He just couldn't catch a break.

The Doctor felt intense pressure in his chest as he and Donna moved through the tear in the universe and into the blackness of the Void. Donna used a hand on his shoulder to guide him through the bleak emptiness until a speck of reddish light appeared in the distance.

"What - " he began, but Donna was quick to shush him.

"Explanations can wait. We don't have much time. Hurry."

She propelled him faster, nearly shoving him to the ground as they raced toward the light. Even as they approached, the Doctor could see the tear decreasing in size. Without needing to be asked, he dove through the tiny opening, somersaulting toward the luminous red light.

He heard Donna tumble after him, but his attention had drifted and he was standing rigidly still, watching the scene before him with shock and horror.

It was Gallifrey and the red glow was coming from hundreds of fires that were burning right before his eyes. Dalek ships were burning, Gallifrey was burning, it was the Time War at its worst. He hadn't had a chance to raise his shields and immediately his head was filled with the screams of his people, causing memories to wash over him. His stomach turned as he recalled the first time he'd seen such horrors and heard such screams. Pain ripped through his hearts as he remembered what he'd done to stop it, and tears spilled down his cheeks as he realized what he would have to do again.

He collapsed to his knees as more screams of terror filled the air and his chest felt tight. He couldn't do it again, he couldn't lose them again. Genocide of his own people once had been hard enough, but twice? He couldn't even bear the thought.

A gentle touch on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see Donna staring down at him, her eyes awash with compassion and a pain that matched his own.

"I think you know what you have to do," she whispered.

He shook his head. "I can't… not again."

She knelt beside him and pulled him into a comforting hug. "Do you remember what you told me in Pompeii?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I say a lot of things, Donna."

"You said, 'that's the choice, Donna. It's Pompeii or the world.' This is one of those times, Doctor. Only this time it's the Time War or the universe. Your people are suffering and the Daleks are only getting stronger. Rose has been able to keep them contained for now, but I don't know how much longer she'll be able to hold them off. And then, well, you know what they can do. We can't let that happen."

His senses heightened at the mention of Rose's name. He looked more closely at the scene before him, searching the chaos until he spotted her. She was standing off to one side, her arms stretched out in front of her. Golden light radiated from her hands, pooling around the subjects of the Time War and holding it in a sort of limbo. He still didn't understand what was going on, but seeing Rose like that gave him strength.

"No." He rose to his feet and took Donna's hand, squeezing it gratefully. "We can't let that happen."

Relief flooded Donna's features and she gave him a small smile. "You might need this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a metal object.

"My screwdriver!" He exclaimed happily as she slid it into his hand. He beamed at her, then immediately turned to scan Rose. He needed to know how much time they had. Donna's intuition was as accurate as ever, Rose's strength was beginning to weaken. They didn't have much time, maybe four minutes, maybe less, they'd have to be quick.

He began to move, pulling Donna along behind him as he raced toward the Citadel. When they reached the majestic doors that marked its entrance he paused, pointing the sonic at it. Beyond that door lay what he knew would be a repeat of one of the worst sights he'd ever seen in his lengthy life. He took a deep breath and braced himself. It was time to face his demons.

The hologram of the Doctor was worse than the Doctor himself and the Master was positively furious as he was forced to listen to the vile image drone on and on about how the ship was protected and locked down until further notice. Something about the TARDIS's failsafe protocol being activated when the TARDIS felt threatened. Damn the Doctor and his constant tinkering. Damn his stupid loyal TARDIS.

The image vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the Master and Jack alone in the stillness of the darkened TARDIS. The Master slumped against a pillar and contemplated his options. His plan to defy Jack and lure him into a trap had failed dramatically and now he was stuck. He hated being stuck.

A glint of something bright caught his eye and he turned to see Jack fiddling with something on his wrist.

The Master's hearts beat faster. That was it! He could use the vortex manipulator to get out of there, and then he would go into hiding and lie low until things had died down and he'd come up with a plan C. He'd just decided on how to go about stealing the device from Jack when the TARDIS flickered back to life and began to move through the vortex of its own accord.

The Master grabbed onto a pillar just in time. The TARDIS began to shudder violently, spinning upside down and sideways as it moved. Out of the corner of his eye the Master spotted Jack grasping the leg of the jump seat. The TARDIS spun a final time then landed on its side and opened her doors herself.

He had a bad feeling about this. A very, very bad feeling.

The inside of the Citadel, once majestic and impressive, now lay in chaos and ruin. Running hand in hand, the Doctor and Donna dodged flying debris as the Doctor led the way through the maze of corridors to the one that held the key to reactivating the Time Lock.

They found it at last and were able to slip in undetected. It was a fairly small room filled with all sorts of electronics and gadgets. The Doctor strode over to the device he needed. It looked like an old fashioned Earth telephone, tall and black with the handle sitting high above the base.

He focused on the dial first, spinning it three times before beckoning Donna over and positioning her hands over the receiver first before adding his own.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Donna took a deep breath and nodded.

The Doctor took a deep breath of his own then began to count. "One, two, three…"

Together the pressed the receiver down until it was touching the base.

Donna braced herself.

Nothing happened.

Then, out of nowhere, the TARDIS crashed to the ground beside them, landing on its side with a loud bang.

#

Jack practically had to drag the Master off of the TARDIS, but there was no way he was going to risk leaving him alone in there, failsafe or no.

Much to his relief, the Doctor was waiting for them as they emerged from the time machine.

"Just on time." The Doctor smiled.

"You planned this?"

Jack's heart leapt at the new voice. It was Donna! She was all right.

The Doctor looked at her. "You didn't really think I'd create a Time Lock without a way for us to get out, did you?"

"But I thought we were on a time crunch."

"We are, but we need the TARDIS to do it properly. Too risky without proper access to the time vortex."

Jack watched their exchange with amusement though he was sure not to release his hold on the Master who was trying to escape.

The Doctor ran past them with Donna close behind him and Jack followed them, yanking the Master along too.

"This won't take long. I just have to create a turboflux neon composite, use the core of the TARDIS to activate it, press the button and voila, new Time Lock." He was tapping frantically at the keyboard as he spoke. An image of Rose, holding the Time War in limbo came up on the computer and Jack saw the Doctor's gaze linger on her for a moment before he began to move swiftly, spinning and twisting and twirling bits and bobs on the console as he walked past.

He motioned Donna over and Jack watched as she took over the controls he offered her. Jack was awed by the deftness with which Donna moved. Until that moment, he had forgotten what it meant that Donna had been party to the meta-crisis.

The Doctor raced to the other side of the console, simultaneously pumping a metal contraption with one hand and flicking a series of switches with the other.

"You might want to hold on to something," the Doctor warned as the TARDIS began to shudder.

Suddenly, three things happened at once. The Master, who had been attempting to escape, fell out of the door as the shaking began; the core of the TARDIS began to glow, filling the air with blinding, white light; and Rose screamed, falling to her knees.

Struggling to stay upright as the TARDIS rocked uncontrollably, Jack slowly crawled his way to the edge of the door. With one hand, he clung to the railing, while cautiously reaching for the Master's hand with the other. The Master glared at him and instead of taking his offered assist, held stubbornly to the base of the TARDIS and tried to claw his way back up.

"Suit yourself!" Jack told him, leaving him to his own devices and turning back to the Doctor and Donna.

They were both concentrating hard as their fingers performed a graceful four part dance, moving quickly and expertly over the knobs and dials of the console.

Rose screamed again, and Jack watched in horror as she collapsed completely and the golden light that had been flowing from her hands was abruptly extinguished.

"Rose!" The Doctor yelled, removing his hand from a switch. The TARDIS shuddered again, more violently this time. Before any of them could dwell on the fact that Rose was lying motionless on the ground, something exploded just outside the door and all three of them watched in horror as flames leapt up toward them.

"No, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor shouted.

"What's happening?" Jack asked.

"The Time War is no longer contained, it's out of control." He slammed a mallet down on the console. "We've got seconds, Jack, before the energy from the Time War bleeds into the rest of the universe and leads it all to ruin."

**_TBC_**

_**A/N:**_ In case you missed it above, as I'm leaving for France on Wednesday and I'm not sure if I'll have internet there, Chapter 18 will be posted EARLY, so keep your eyes out for it on Wednesday. Chapter 19 will be posted as per usual the following Friday.


	19. Chapter 18

****Author's Note:** **As promised here is Chapter 18 a little bit early. There will probably be a delay in my response to comments this week since I will be out of the country but I'll respond as soon as I'm back and able. Regular Friday postings will resume on August 12th. Enjoy!

**Chapter 18**

The Doctor tugged at his hair frantically as he watched events unfold before him. He was beginning to panic.

"Think, think, think!" he yelled at himself as he paced around the console. He stopped by the monitor that showed Rose, lying motionless on the ground, her strength and energy spent after trying to buy them more time.

He slammed his fist against the console and swore in Gallifreyan. He'd failed her. She'd given everything she had to try and save them all and he'd failed her. Right after he'd failed her daughter and Donna and everyone. Emotions began to boil deep within his chest and suddenly he felt the urge to scream. To rage against to universe at the injustice of it all.

Instead, he fought against his fury, swallowing hard as he forced himself to tweak the TARDIS settings in one final, futile attempt to stop the inevitable.

A sudden yelp pulled him out of his destructive reverie and he turned toward the sound just as the Master's fingers slipped from the edge of the TARDIS. He raced to the door, reaching out to grasp his arm, but he was too late and he, Jack and Donna watched in horror as the Master plummeted into the depths of the Time War.

Suddenly, there was a massive explosion that resounded through the universe. Then, just as suddenly, the light and flame that had accompanied the explosion began to vanish and as it went, so did the Time War. The Time Lock was back in place.

The Doctor sank to his knees, overcome with a mixture of grief, regret and relief. He sensed Donna kneel beside him, her arm over his shoulder in a half hug.

"It's all right now, Doctor. It's over."

Without looking at her or Jack he nodded and got to his feet.

"Doctor?" Jack's voice was filled with concern, but the Doctor tuned him out, walking to the console and programming it on autopilot.

He was vaguely aware of Donna closing the TARDIS doors and coming to stand beside him, her hands over his as the TARDIS began to move. She seemed to know instinctively what he was doing and within seconds they had landed beside Rose.

As he walked toward her, his eyes fixed on her limp form, the numbness he'd felt since watching his people die a second time began to melt away and was replaced with a sort of cool calm. Without touching her, or testing her vitals he knew with certainty that she was still alive.

He studied her face. She looked older and yet still so very, very young. There were tiny creases near her eyes that made him think of both happiness and sadness. It was his Rose, the one he'd last seen on a beach in Norway in another world. The one he'd dreamt of every single night since he'd left her. The one he'd tried to push out of his heart but had never quite succeeded.

Sure, earlier, (he wasn't even certain exactly when it was - it seemed a million years ago now), he'd saved another version of his beloved and being with her had been wonderful in its own way, but deep down, he'd known it wasn't quite right. That she wasn't quite right. That _he_ wasn't quite right.

Now though, everything would be different. Better. With very little effort, he scooped Rose into his arms, holding her close to his chest as he carried her into the TARDIS. It wasn't until they were safely inside that he remembered the other thing he'd done. The thing she'd never forgive him for. The thing he'd never forgive himself for.

Viola.

#

Rose slowly drifted into consciousness. She could hear people talking but she couldn't make out their voices or what they were saying. Her head was pounding and although her body didn't ache, she felt weary and exhausted everywhere.

She moaned and the talking stopped abruptly. She could feel people gazing at her, though how many people, or who they were she wasn't sure. With great effort, she forced her eyes open and gasped.

The Doctor was staring down at her. For a moment, her heart soared and she thought it was her husband, but then she remembered his death, and the great effort he had gone to in sending her and Viola through the Void. To him. To this man, her original Doctor who was holding her in his arms and staring down at her in wonder.

She fought tears as the memory of her husband's death pierced her heart all over again. She'd known it would be hard to see the Doctor again, but even though she'd thought she was prepared for it, she realized now it was something she could never have truly prepared for. Not wanting to fall apart now, Rose suppressed her thoughts focusing instead on the other people in the room.

Donna was there she saw, looking at Rose anxiously. She smiled back at her fondly. They'd been through a lot together recently and Rose already considered her to be a good friend. Beside Donna was Jack, and Rose felt her smile broaden to a wide grin. Until now, she hadn't realized how much she'd missed Jack during all those years in the other universe. It was good to see them.

Her eyes swept the rest of the room, searching for her daughter. Disappointed, she brought her gaze back to the Doctor's and struggled to sit up.

"Viola," she whispered hoarsely. "Where is she? I thought for sure she'd have found you by now."

The Doctor looked down, but not before Rose saw the immense pain that was reflected in his eyes.

"She did." His voice was practically inaudible and she had to strain to hear.

Rose slid off his lap and stood on shaky legs. "Then where is she?"

When he didn't answer, Rose felt terror grip her heart. She placed her hands on his shoulders and asked again. "Where is Viola? Is my daughter okay?"

The Doctor finally raised his eyes to meet hers. They were damp with moisture and even before he spoke she knew.

"Rose." His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "We'll get her back. We'll find her, I promise." The emotion in his voice broke Rose's carefully honed control and she felt tears begin to trickle down her cheek.

"Doctor, please tell me, what happened?"

It was Jack who answered. "She vanished. We don't know where she went. She was here with us one minute and then the next she was gone, and all that was left was a large crack."

A flash of cold fear engulfed Rose. "The crack? Viola was sucked into the crack?" Her knees began to buckle, and she felt someone guiding her her to sit down in the captain's chair.

The Doctor's voice was clear and even as he spoke. "Actually, I think the crack was in her mind somehow. I… I saw it before things got so messed up. But Rose, I think she's okay. I heard her."

"You heard her?" Rose felt her heart beat more rapidly as she looked at him anxiously. "Here?"

"No. Here." He tapped his head lightly. "Earlier when I was in the crack."

"_You_ were in the crack?" Rose's head began to pound harder. None of this made any sense and it wasn't bringing them any closer to locating her daughter.

"It's not important." He knelt in front of her and reached for her hands but she pulled them away. He sighed. "Look, Rose, I think Viola is in some kind of limbo between existence and non-existence. I can still sense her, so I know she's all right, but the connection is getting weaker and I don't know how much longer..." He trailed off, his voice sad and wistful.

Alarmed by the thought of running out of time before they could save Viola, Rose took a steadying breath and swiped at her tears. "How do we get her back?" She asked, wincing at the pinched twinge in her voice.

The Doctor refused to meet her yes. "I'll find a way, I promise. If I could just…" He spun away from her, throwing his entire being into fiddling with the many exotic items on the console.

Suddenly Donna walked over and placed her hands on the Doctor's shoulders, startling them both. "Turning into a nutter isn't going to help you or Viola. Calm down, _I _know a way."

The Doctor gaped at her. "You know? How?"

Donna rolled her eyes and placed two fingers against her temple. "Time Lord brain, remember? And unlike yours, mine isn't completely useless and clouded by emotion."

"Oi!, I'm not —"

"You are." Donna walked over to the console and began to flick switches.

"Hey, gentle with her, the TARDIS is not invincible you know?"

"Oi, quit your whining and let me clean up the mess you've made of things."

"But how do you even —"

"Shhhhh!" Donna said loudly. "Later. Let me concentrate."

Rose looked between the two of them bewildered. "What does she mean the mess you made of things?" she asked the Doctor calmly, not wanting to disturb Donna who had now enlisted Jack to help her with whatever it was she was doing.

He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck and looked down at his feet. "I… well, it's a long story but remember how I always used to warn you about fixed points in time and the dangers of changing the past?"

Rose nodded.

"Well," he paused and she could tell he was searching for the right words. "I did something like that."

Rose's eyes widened. "Is that why… is that why all this stuff happened? Why Donna and I got trapped in the Void, why realities and times were mixing, why the Time Lock was broken? Because you tampered with things you shouldn't have?"

The Doctor nodded miserably. "It's worse than that, Rose. I… the things I did, they kind of unmade the current versions of you and Donna and Viola."

"What?" Rose gaped at the man she'd once known so well.

He'd done this? After all the lectures he used to give her? She felt fury begin to well up inside her and she had to fight hard to keep control. She felt a torrent of angry words bubble to the surface just as Donna's triumphant voice rang through the TARDIS.

"We're here!"

Rose took a deep breath, forcing her anger at the Doctor to subside for the moment. Right now, the most important thing was finding her daughter. Everything else would have to wait.

_TBC_


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: **My apologies. When I uploaded this earlier I accidentally linked to the wrong chapter. This is the correct one.

**Chapter 19**

Donna's head was swimming with knowledge and it felt good. She kept expecting the pain she'd felt the first time to descend upon her, but it never did. Whatever Rose had done when she'd touched her had cured her for good.

Actually, in truth, Donna knew exactly what Rose had done - a small portion of the energy from the Vortex that Rose once absorbed to save the Doctor had passed into Donna's body, effectively stabilizing her Time-Lord-ness and allowing her brain to handle the increased activity.

Donna knew a lot of things she hadn't known before. For one thing, she now knew why she had been dragged through time before meeting up with Rose. She scoffed at the thought. She'd known the Doctor could be an idiot of course, but she'd never imagined he'd ever go to such stupid lengths. Although he hadn't told her, she knew with certainty that the Doctor had tampered with her timeline. And if he'd tampered with her timeline then his actions had most likely also affected the existence of the other Doctor, the one she now knew had become Rose's husband and Viola's father.

Which is why, she'd brought them here, to the moment where she suspected the Doctor had intervened. As Rose and Jack looked on, Donna grabbed the Doctor's upper arm, the fabric of his jacket bunching in her fist as she dragged him down the gangway to the door of the TARDIS and shoved him out into the interior of another TARDIS.

The Doctor looked at her, with panicky eyes. "What are we doing here? You can't be here, you'll create paradox."

"I know better than to touch myself you ninny!" She swatted him across the ear.

"Ow!"

"Actually, because of what you did, I shouldn't really exist, and neither does Viola's father." She pushed him further into the other TARDIS where another version of herself was reaching for a hand in a jar and still another version of the Doctor was about to stop her. "You have to stop yourself. Events must play out the way they did before. Only then will Viola be able to return."

"But won't this create another paradox?"

"Not if you don't get physical." Donna looked at him in disgust. "Are you a Time Lord or what? Shouldn't you know this stuff?"

"Yes but -"

Donna sighed in exasperation. "Would you quit your dilly dallying and hurry up? He's about to stop her, I mean me! Do something!" She gave him a gentle shove and after stumbling over his feet he took a tentative step toward himself. Not wanting to make the situation anymore complicated than it already was, Donna slipped back into the TARDIS to wait with Rose and the handsome Captain Jack.

#

Jack, Rose and Donna stood around the console monitor watching as the Doctor stopped his prior self from intervening with the meta-crisis. The speaker was off so they couldn't hear what he said but whatever it was appeared to be effective because it wasn't long before both Doctors retreated the scene, miraculously unseen by the other Donna who was completely fixated on the hand in the jar.

Jack turned to study the Donna beside him, and found her staring back at him with an expression of awe and wonder on her face.

"You're FOB, aren't you?" she said softly, taking him completely off guard with the unexpected question.

"What?" he gaped at her.

"FOB. It stands for 'Face of Boe'. That's you, isn't it?"

"How did you know that?"

Donna laughed and gestured to her head. "Time Lord Brain, remember? I have all his memories up to that point," She pointed to the screen where her former self was now gaping at a very naked Doctor. Jack had to force himself to peel his eyes away. "And I can remember you telling him and Martha about the nickname."

"Right. Of course." Jack nodded distractedly, still watching the monitor out of the corner of his eye.

Donna touched his arm and he focused on her again, meeting her gaze. "Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For making sure I became more than just a temp, even without my memories. For forcing me to push myself to meet my full potential."

Jack shrugged. "It was nothing."

"No, Jack, it was everything." She pulled him into a tight hug and, never one to shy away from affection, Jack returned the gesture, letting his hands rest a little lower on her hips than was appropriate in polite company. Unfortunately, the Doctor chose that moment to re-enter the TARDIS and Jack pulled away reluctantly.

"Where's Viola?" Rose asked, her voice tense and panicky.

"We have to let events play out naturally." The Doctor motioned toward the monitor then winced when he spotted his unclothed figure and, to Jack's dismay, quickly switched it off.

"Also, she should return to where she was when she vanished," Donna interjected.

"And where was that?" Rose wanted to know.

Jack answered. "Right here, in the TARDIS."

#

The moment it shifted into the vortex the TARDIS shuddered once, and Viola appeared in the exact spot she'd been in before she'd vanished for good.

"Doctor!" She exclaimed running toward him and throwing herself into his arms.

He held her closely, relief rushing through him as he realized just how much he had missed her.

Fully aware of the glares Rose was shooting him from across the room, the Doctor gave Viola one more quick squeeze, then kissed her on the top of the head and whispered, "Viola, there's someone else who's eager to see you."

"Who?"

The Doctor spun her so she could see Rose and he watched as Viola's entire face lit up. "Mum!" she shouted, squirming her way out of his arms and flying across the room. She flung herself at her mother.

"Oh, Mum, I missed you so much. I was so worried about you. I thought I'd never see you again, like Daddy -" Viola's voice broke and the Doctor's hearts ached for both mother and child as he watched Rose hold her daughter more tightly and bury her face in Viola's hair.

"No sweetheart, I'm right here. I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere."

"Good, 'cause I love you too much to lose you, too." Viola kissed her mum on the cheek the slid to the floor and took her mother's hand. "And look, I found the Doctor. Well, I guess you did too, if you're here, but Mum, he took such good care of me."

The Doctor smiled, he'd missed Viola and her floods of words that came at you all at once.

"Did he?" Rose was looking at the Doctor curiously.

Viola looked up at her mum, her eyes wide. "Don't be mad at him for the mistakes he made okay?"

The Doctor watched Rose carefully as she swallowed visibly and nodded at her daughter before shooting him a look that told him clearly that she was indeed furious.

He sighed and began to mentally prepare himself for the battle that was sure to come.


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: **Sorry for the lateness of this posting. It's been a long few days. Also, "Pottermore" is very distracting. Hope you find that this chapter was worth the wait!"

Chapter 20

A short while later, after they had ensured that all further ramifications resulting from the Doctor's actions had been rectified, Donna suggested she and Jack take Viola on an excursion.

"It's been ages since I've travelled properly and I'm itching to revisit the moon of Spirionica." She turned to Viola and added conspiratorially. "It's populated by tiny butterfly people who bathe in chocolate and harvest sugar fields."

Viola's eyes widened and she looked at Rose hopefully. "Can we go Mum? Can we? That would be soooooo cool."

Rose felt tension building within her at the thought of letting her daughter out of her sight so soon but a glance at the Doctor, who was leaning casually against a pillar as he watched the discussion brought her fury back to the surface. She decided that she would rather Viola weren't around when she finally gave the Doctor a piece of her mind. "Okay," she finally agreed. "But you have to promise you'll send the Doctor a telepathic message immediately if there's trouble."

"I promise! I promise!" Viola was hopping excitedly on one leg and Rose winced as she nearly lost her balance.

Donna caught Rose's eye and seemed to understand Rose's concerns. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of her, won't we, Jack?"

Jack frowned at her, looking perplexed. "What? Wait. Sorry, I was just thinking about something. What's going on?"

"Spirionica?" Donna cleared her throat, nodding not so subtly toward Rose and the Doctor and causing Rose to nearly laugh aloud at the very obvious scheming Donna was doing to get her and the Doctor alone. Although, judging from the suggestive glances Donna kept shooting her, Rose suspected she and Donna had very different ideas about just what would be happening once they were alone.

Jack grinned, clearly understanding Donna immediately. "Oh, Spirionica is amazing. Viola should totally see it."

"Right. That's settled then." The Doctor sprang to life and began to flick and twirl dials, whizzing them through time and space until they'd landed on Spirionica. He rubbed his hands excitedly, his eyes bright as he contemplated the adventure to come. "Let's go see this planet then!"

He was already half way to the door when Rose caught his arm. "Oh, no. You're not going."

"I'm not?" The Doctor squeaked, and Rose knew he was completely aware of what was going on but trying to get out of it.

"No. You're not." Her words were firm yet calm, the way they often were when she was disciplining Viola.

Looking apprehensive, the Doctor bobbed his head in agreement and reluctantly stepped away from the door. "Have fun!" He called after Donna, Viola and Jack's retreating forms.

"You too!" Donna responded.

Before the door had even closed fully, Rose turned toward the Doctor and released the careful hold she'd placed on her fury in the past few hours.

"How dare you?" she shouted.

Although she was pretty certain he'd been expecting this, the Doctor winced and took a step back instinctively.. "How dare I what, exactly?"

"Oh, don't be coy with me. Where do I even start?"

"I'm sorry. For all of it, I'm sorry."

"Now who's the stupid ape?" She hissed walking closer to him . "You really think a blanket apology is enough? I nearly lost my only daughter because of what you did. How could you be so harebrained?"

"I —"

She poked his shoulder sharply as she spoke each word, "I'm _emnot/em_ finished. I realize you didn't know about her, or about me coming back, but that doesn't change the fact that what you did was wrong. I don't understand why you would do such a thing. The entire universe nearly ceased to exist because of what you did, nevermind what you did to our personal time lines. We didn't deserve that and neither did Donna.I thought you were better than this. You're supposed to be the smart one."

"I did it because I wanted to fix past wrongs, to make things better."

"Did it ever once occur to you that we didn't _emneed/em _fixing? That we were happy with the way things turned out?" She paused, taking a deep breath to counteract her breathlessness before continuing her tirade. "No, of course it didn't." She spat bitterly. "Because that would be like giving us a choice and you don't do that."

The Doctor frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. You always think you know what's best for people so you make the decisions for them, you don't even give them a say." The bitterness she'd felt that day on the beach returned and she continued, her voice cold and harsh. "Did you ever consider, even for a moment that I didn't want you to leave me on that beach? Or that I wanted to be given the chance to make that choice on my own? You took that away from me, Doctor. It was _emmy/em_ choice to make, NOT yours. You always do this, you think you know what's best for people without ever once considering that maybe you don't have the right to take their choice away. For all your talk of not wanting to be a god you sure act like one sometimes."

The Doctor gaped at her. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I just wanted you to be happy."

"And you didn't think I could be happy with you?"

He opened his mouth wordlessly, his jaw dropping. After a moment he seemed to recover, clearing his throat as he finally shrugged. "I thought you would be happier with him, with a human life."

"I didn't want a human life, Doctor, neither did he."

"But you married him, you had a child."

"Yes. We managed to work out our issues and I fell in love with him for who_ emhe/em_ was. And we were very happy for a very long time, but that doesn't change the fact that you never gave either of us a choice. He was miserable at first, Doctor. Miserable in that stationary life, not able to travel or communicate with even a TARDIS or anything. He was human physically, but in every other way he was a Time Lord. He needed more than that life, and if he hadn't been able to grow another TARDIS I don't think we would have made it. I don't think we would have had the wonderful life together that we did. And we certainly wouldn't have had Viola."

"So, see? It all worked out."

"Because _emwe/em _fought for it. It had nothing, NOTHING to do with you."

Rose stopped shouting, her energy waning as she caught her breath. He was quiet for a long time before speaking.

"Most things have nothing to do with me in the end."

Her eyebrow shot up questioningly and she studied him carefully for a long beat. Finally he met her gaze. "I only did it for you," he whispered finally. "Perhaps I should have given you a choice but I thought I was giving you a gift."

"That's your excuse?" Rose felt tears spring to her eyes. "It's bad enough that your choices took you away from me, but Doctor, you nearly cost me my only daughter. If I lost her too…" Rose trailed off, unable to even conceive of what that would mean. She took a deep breath. She couldn't fall apart. Not yet.

She turned away, discreetly drying her eyes so he wouldn't see just how shattered she was. When she was finally calm enough to face him again, the expression on his face nearly caused her to start crying again, but for a completely different reason.

He had averted his eyes the entire time he was speaking, but he was looking directly at her now, and she could see what she hadn't wanted to before. For the first time in all the years she'd known him, he looked old. Old and tired and completely lost. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes - an impressive feat for someone who claimed he didn't need much sleep - and his cheeks were indrawn and gaunt. It was his eyes though that tugged at her reluctant heart with their dark pools of anguish and grief.

She tried to look away, wanting to cling to the comfort of her anger, but already she could feel herself slowly beginning to soften a little. He was different now than he'd been back then. Sadder, lonelier.

em_Is that what had driven him to be so reckless?_/em she wondered. The Doctor she had known had always been so confident, so sure, so careful. But the man in front of her now was defeated and sad.

He broke the gaze, and scrubbed his hands over his eyes. He shrugged, clearly not knowing what else to say and all but collapsed into the jumpseat, his shoulders sagging. He looked up at her again and as their gazes locked it was suddenly clear to her that he was already beating himself up for the mistakes he'd made. She remembered then how he had always internalized his pain. He was always hardest on himself and she realized now that his defensiveness earlier hadn't been because he was defending his actions but because he was trying to hide the inner blame he was already placing upon himself. With that revelation, the last of her anger fled and she reached for him to offer comfort and be comforted.

They embraced properly for the first time in… well she couldn't recall how long it had been. The tension of the last few weeks began to seep from her muscles as the Doctor wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head against his shoulders, the rise and fall of his chest calming and comforting her. She relaxed into the moment, allowing all her worries and confusion to fade into the background to be dealt with later. Instead she surrendered herself to the warmth of his embrace. For the time being, she was home.

They hugged for several minutes before an image flashed through her mind and Rose pulled away slightly. "There's something I don't understand," she said, looking right into the Doctor's eyes.

"What's that?"

Rose pictured the massive dragon-like creature that was trying to erase all of humanity from the earth in an attempt to fix the damage she'd caused years earlier when she'd saved her father from the car accident.

"What about those creatures? The ones that came when I , you know, helped my Dad? Why haven't they been here?"

The Doctor pursed his lips. After a long beat he said, "I have a theory,"

Rose rubbed her temples. "Do I want to know?"

"I think it's because what happened is too big. There were literally hundreds of thousands of people and creatures out of their proper Temporal Schedules. So many that any attempt to fix the situation by the Reapers would most assuredly have resulted in their untimely death."

"So what? They just stayed away?"

"Something like that."

Suddenly, absurdly, Rose began to giggle.

"What?"

Rose had to struggle to regain her senses. "It's nothing really, it's just, that only you would create a catastrophe too big for reapers."

5


	22. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** A tad early this week since I'm off on a tour through the Scottish Highlands starting early tomorrow morning. Also, in case you missed it last week, I'm taking suggestions for future ShakespeareVerse stories. Details can be found here at my LJ: lorelaisquared (dot) livejournal (dot) com (slash) 107509 (dot) html (replace bracketed words with the symbol and remove all spaces).

**Chapter 21**

Viola felt surprisingly light hearted as she skipped through the fields of Spirionica a few feet ahead of Donna and Jack. It felt so good to be so carefree and unburdened after all of the drama that had occurred since she and her mother had landed in this universe.

She hadn't really wanted to leave her mother's side so soon after finally finding her again, but she'd sensed a sort of thick tension between her and the Doctor, so she had agreed to go with Donna, knowing that her mother would be able to take care of whatever the issue was more quickly if she wasn't there.

Strangely enough it was the Doctor and not her mother that she was most concerned about. For one thing, she was fairly certain he was facing her mother's wrath about now, which she knew, from the few times she'd managed to get herself into mischief, was not a fun position to be in. More than that though, she'd been in his head again, and what she'd heard had alarmed her. He was blaming himself for everything that had happened. And although Viola knew intellectually that much of what had happened had been caused by his actions, she could tell he was being far too hard on himself. She sure hoped Mum would be gentle with him.

Another reason she'd agreed to this outing was Donna herself. Viola was fascinated by Donna. For starters, she was beautiful. Her ginger hair in particular. Viola thought of her own plain, brown hair and wondered if one day, in a future regeneration, she'd be lucky enough to have hair that colour.

In truth however, Viola's interest in Donna went far beyond her appearance. She was fascinated that this woman, who had been born fully human, was now partly Time Lord. It was something new and completely different and the scientific aspects alone would have been enough to interest Viola. It was the emotional aspects that were drawing her in though, and now that the crisis had been averted, Viola's pain over losing her father had returned with a vengeance. Since Donna was the one who had created her father, Viola felt closer to him by being around her. She couldn't explain why it was exactly, but being near Donna was definitely comforting.

Viola's inner monologue was interrupted when she spotted a chocolate river in the distance. She squealed in delight and bounded over to it, deliberately tuning out Donna and Jack's warnings to be careful.

True to Donna's description, there were three butterfly people bathing in the brown stream. They were extremely tiny - much smaller than Viola had envisioned. The largest one looked like it couldn't possibly be more than two inches tall. The smallest of the trio, a child, was a mere inch tall, and her parents (at least, Viola assumed they were her parents) were trying to teach her to swim.

After several failed attempts, the smallest one fluttered her wings, splattering chocolate on the bank as though it were mud and began to rise through the air. Her parents quickly followed. Their wings captivated Viola. They were wide, tall and saturated with colour. Each pair of wings held it's own unique symmetrical pattern, and they glistened, as though they had been doused in multicoloured glitter.

Viola was so absorbed in watching the trio as the adults lured the little one back to the water, that she didn't even notice when Jack and Donna took their places beside her.

"Extraordinary, isn't it?" Donna broke the silence, causing Viola to startle a little.

When she recovered, she didn't speak, just nodded and continued to watch what was happening in the river.

Jack spoke next, his tone reflective. "I've been alive for such a long time and it's still amazing to me how many phenomenal things there are in this universe."

"I know. And to think we nearly lost this." Out of the corner of her eye, Viola saw Jack reach out and squeeze Donna's hand.

"We didn't. The universe's wonders are safe and open for exploration once more."

Still half listening to Jack and Donna's conversation, Viola knelt down on the bank of the river, smiling as the small butterfly child succeeded in taking her first strokes.

"Thank you," Donna was saying in a hushed tone.

"For what?"

"For looking out for me when I, wasn't quite myself. For making sure that I didn't go back to being just another Temp in Chiswick."

"It was my pleasure." Viola turned her head in time to see Jack flashing a wide grin at Donna. "Always happy to help out a lady."

She laughed. "The Doctor was right, you _emare/em _a terrible flirt."

"I try." Jack winked at her and Viola rolled her eyes. Adults could be ridiculous sometimes.

Companionable silence fell between them for a moment and Viola refocused her attention on the small family. The butterfly child was now swimming back and forth between her parents.

"So what now?" Jack asked quietly after a while. "Will you go home?"

Donna's normally confident voice wavered. "I don't know… I mean, I just got all of this back, not sure I'm ready to give it up again just yet. But, I also don't want to impose." She glanced at Viola, who quickly diverted her eyes and pretended she wasn't listening. Lowering her voice, Donna continued. "After all, he just got her back."

"Yeah, that's true." Jack paused, then, "You could come work for Torchwood." He suggested. "We could use someone like you on our team."

Viola tuned out the rest of the conversation after that, focusing instead on the conflicted emotions that had arisen within her. She knew Donna had been talking about the Doctor and her mother and Viola wasn't really sure how she felt about all that.

She liked the Doctor for sure, but the fact remained that he looked like her father, yet wasn't and that made things rather complicated. Thinking about her dad brought back the pain and grief she'd suppressed during all of the chaos and suddenly Viola wanted to cry.

Scrubbing at her face, Viola took a deep breath, steadying herself. She tried to distract herself by watching the family again, but it wasn't working anymore. What had been something fascinating and wonderful a few minutes earlier had suddenly become something bittersweet and sad. Seeing the happy butterfly family now only served to remind her, painfully of her fractured family and what they'd lost.

She stood up abruptly, surprising both Donna and Jack. "I want to go back now," she said firmly. Without waiting for a response, Viola turned and started walking back the way they'd come; the soft sound of their feet crunching against the dry grass the only sign that Donna and Jack were following.

#

The console room was empty and silent when Donna, Viola and Jack returned to the TARDIS.

Donna glanced at Viola. She'd been silent for the entire journey back and Donna wondered what had happened to change the young girls demeanour so quickly. She'd been so bubbly and enthusiastic when they'd first found the river, but now she seemed distant and sad.

"Mum?" Viola called anxiously. The core of the TARDIS lit up at the sound of her voice but there was still no sign of the Doctor or Rose.

"Mum!" Panic filtered into her voice now and she started to run toward the corridor.

"I'll go find her," Donna said quickly, remembering the animosity and anger she'd sensed from Rose earlier. She wasn't sure what kind of state they'd find her in. "You stay here with Jack."

Viola looked as though she were going to argue but she seemed to reconsider, her shoulders slumping in resignation as she nodded. "Okay."

Donna slipped away, checking every room she passed for a sign of Rose or the Doctor. She entered the library, half expecting to find the Doctor reading on the chesterfield the way he always used to when she'd travelled with him. At first glance it was empty, but as she turned to leave, she heard a faint scuffling sound that drew her attention to a stuffed chair in the far corner of the cluttered room.

Rose was sitting there, her legs tucked beneath her, a throw pillow hugged tightly against her chest as she sobbed into it.

"Rose?" Donna whispered softly, not wanting to startle her.

Rose looked up, smiling half heartedly through her tears. "Oh, hi Donna, you're back."

"We are yes, and your daughter is anxious to see you. I think she's not entirely convinced you won't disappear on her again."

Worry clouded Rose's eyes and she wiped her tears. "Can you tell her I'll be there in a few minutes? I don't want her to see me like this."

"Of course." Donna agreed, though she stood rooted to her spot. "Are you okay?"

Rose started to nod then shook her head. "No. But I will be. I just… well a lot has happened in a short amount of time, I suppose I'm just beginning to process it all."

Donna approached and perched herself on the edge of a small coffee table that was littered with ancient looking books. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yes. No. I don't know…" Rose took a deep breath and laughed shakily. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little confused right now."

Choosing her words carefully, Donna spoke. "Understandable, given all that's happened."

"Yeah. It's complicated."

"It always is. Especially when _emhe's_/em involved."

Rose's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "You have no idea."

"Is everything all right? With you and him I mean? Looked like you were ready to tear his head off earlier."

A wry laugh. "It will be. I got some things off my chest that I've been holding onto for a long time, but…" Rose trailed off. She glanced at Donna uncertainly. "… Like I said, it's complicated."

Donna still didn't know the exact circumstances of what had brought Rose and Viola back to this universe; there had hardly been time to talk when they were being dragged through the Void, but she was pretty certain that something had happened to Viola's father. She was quiet for a moment then decided to take a risk. "The death of loved one always is."

Rose's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Logical guess. You and Viola both show signs of grief."

"I guess it's just starting to hit me, now that all the excitement is over. The permanence of it. The strangeness of being back here. Of seeing him again."

Donna didn't need to ask who "he" was. "I'm sure it'll get easier."

"It's so overwhelming. And I'm confused. I knew it would be hard to see the Doctor again, but I didn't think it would be_ emthis/em_ hard. It was easier when I was able to cling to my anger. Now I just hurt."

Donna engulfed Rose in a massive hug, her heart filling with compassion and empathy as Rose clung to her.

"Thank you." Rose whispered when Donna pulled away. "I needed that."

"Happy to help." Donna smiled. "Now, might I suggest we go see that daughter of yours? She was pretty anxious when we came back."

Rose dabbed her eyes and smoothed her hair, hoping she didn't look to frazzled. "Yes, lets."

5


	23. Chapter 22

**A/N: **An extra special thanks to springhaze23 who gave this a last-minute read through.

Sorry for the lateness of thies posting. I have company at the moment so my online time is limited at the moment. No matter, here it is.

Chapter 22

The next week passed in a blur, punctuated notably by Jack's departure as he returned to his work at Torchwood. Despite his exit, the TARDIS remained full of life. One person's departure no longer left the Doctor in the lonely quiet. Instead, he was still astonishingly surrounded by people.

In many ways, the Doctor was happier than he'd been in a long time. He had two of his closest friends back in his life, plus a child who was continually shocking and surprising him - something not easily done. Donna in particular was back in her element, throwing herself headfirst into their adventures with enthusiasm and it delighted him to have her telling him off again when he was being stupid. She and Viola had started to bond and they'd become co-conspirators, frequently teaming up to prove him wrong or give him a hard time.

Rose often seemed like her old self as they bounded their way from place to place, and the Doctor was finding it increasingly difficult not to slip back into old habits like grasping her hand whenever they had to run, or pulling her into a tight hug when something brilliant happened. Inside the TARDIS however, Rose was different. She was quiet and reserved and since the day she'd ranted at him, she'd only spoken to him when absolutely necessary. He'd kept his distance, respecting her boundaries and treading carefully. He was terrified of doing something else to upset her and driving her away.

He still had a million questions about her and Viola. How had they managed to get back, anyway? What exactly had happened to Viola's father? How long were they staying? How much time had passed for her?

He studied her carefully from across the room one afternoon, trying to determine if she'd aged at all since last he'd seen her. He concluded that it was very little, if at all, and decided that it must have been less than ten years for her. Any more than that and surely she'd be showing more signs of age?

When he wasn't pondering the mysteries of Rose's return, the Doctor was dwelling on his own recent failings and the apocalypse he'd nearly created. He didn't blame Rose for raging at him that day. She'd been right about everything she'd said. In truth, he felt as though he deserved much worse than that. His actions had affected every being he'd ever been in contact with, in addition to all of creation and the guilt of it was beginning to eat him alive. He'd become the dangerous thing that others had to fight, and he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to forgive himself for that. He almost wished Rose would yell at him again because her recent silence was unbarable and yelling at himself was not nearly as effective.

To distract himself, the Doctor began to focus his efforts on puzzling out exactly what had happened to Rose and Donna when they'd vanished. After questioning them both, he knew that they had first gone to the Void and had been stuck there, in limbo, for a some time before they'd been pulled through the tears and seen the chaos that had been occurring. At that point, they'd taken matters into their own hands and found a way to set things right, something he hadn't been able to do. What if they hadn't been there to step in? The thought chilled him to the core and he shivered, pushing it from his mind. He refocused on the questions he still had instead.

His biggest preoccupation was the Void. That Donna and Rose had been sent there at all was cause enough for concern, but the fact that they'd survived the hostile environment for such a long time puzzled and worried him greatly. It should have killed them. Not that he was complaining, of course; he was eternally gratefully to have both of them back in his life, but still, there was something about the whole thing that niggled at the back of his mind, telling him that something still wasn't quite right.

As the weeks passed, the Doctor started to notice little changes in all of them as they relaxed and adjusted to the new circumstances. They settled into a bit of a routine and some of the tension from their first days of being together on the TARDIS began to dissipate. With Viola's help, he'd managed to build a retractable step stool that wrapped around the console so that she could climb up and help him pilot. He continued to be impressed by her flying skills, and after only a few flights he felt comfortable letting her fly the TARDIS solo.

Rose seemed more nervous than necessary whenever Viola took control alone, but for the life of him, the Doctor couldn't figure out why. There was a lot about Rose he couldn't figure out these days, actually, and it was beginning to drive him mad.

Thank goodness for Donna. Never had he been more grateful to have someone onboard his ship. She seemed to have an endless enthusiasm for travelling now, and by her lead they had visited some of his favourite places in the universe, and even some new ones that he'd never before had the pleasure of seeing. She had become a bit of a buffer between him and Rose, and he found that when she was around, Rose was more likely to speak to him conversationally.

Then, three months after Viola's return, an unfortunate incident in the Velenium Nebula changed everything. It had been his idea to show it to them because he'd wanted to introduce all of them, especially Viola, to the amazing phenomenon of the phosphorescent Aurelia Peregrinus mating ritual. The entirety of the jellyfish-like species would gather at the centre of the Velenium Nebula every cycle and perform a choreographed dance accompanied by a haunting hum that resonated from each of them. The aim for them was simple - to attract a mate - and yet the sight was breathtaking, one of the greatest events the Doctor had ever seen.

It all started fine, of course, as most such events do, but it wasn't long before things went horribly wrong and a band of Blandigorian Poachers turned up and started launching spears into the bloom, quickly capturing the specimens that had fallen. The Aurelia began to panic, darting in every direction attempting to flee before more of their group were captured.

Several of the creatures soared toward the observation platform that the Doctor and his friends were standing on, forcing them to duck for fear of being knocked off.

Thinking quickly, the Doctor grabbed the hands of the two people on either side of him, who happened to be Viola and Donna, and shouted, "Run!"

From the corner of his eye he spotted Donna grab Rose's hand, and soon they were running as fast as they could. Hundreds of the Aurelia were zooming toward them now, their poisonous lappets narrowly missing them as they fled their attackers.

The TARDIS was nearly in sight and the Doctor began to sprint faster. If he could only get inside he would be able to keep them all safe while he found a way to stop the poachers. He was just reaching out to unlock the blue door when all of the Aurelia, including those who had fled, turned back and charged toward the Blandigorian ships.

"Doctor!" Donna screamed. "We have to stop them. They'll be massacred!"

Initially the Doctor had thought there were only one or two ships, but as he turned to look now, he could see that there were thousands, all of them overflowing with hundreds of armed Blandigorian soldiers.

"No!" he yelled, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and racing back toward the fray as every surviving Aurelia entered the Blandigorian shooting rang. The ping of spears whizzing through space filled the air, and even as the Doctor aimed his sonic to shield the blow, the sharp points struck their targets and an entire race of magnificent creatures took their last breath and fell to their predators.

"No!" the Doctor shouted again, feeling his knees buckle beneath him as the full gravity of the situation hit him. "No!"

He felt an arm slip around his waist to support him and he barely registered surprise at the fact that it was Rose. His hearts had been broken too many times in the past and this, the genocide of yet another species was just too much. He let himself cling to Rose for comfort for several moments before returning to his senses and pulling away. Without looking at any of them, he walked back to the TARDIS, and once they were all on board, shifted them into the vortex and disappeared into the sanctuary of the library.

#

Rose stood in the doorway, her heart aching as she watched the Doctor sitting on the sofa, buried in an ancient-looking book. The darkness in his eyes told her he was clearly only pretending to read as he hid his pain over the calamity that they had just witnessed. She'd deliberately kept her distance in the past few weeks, but not because she was still angry with him. She wasn't, not really. No, it was more a form of self-preservation as she tried to sort through her own emotions and the grief and guilt that had resulted from her husband's death.

It hadn't helped that, at first, every time she looked at him she saw her husband and her heart broke all over again. Recently, she'd begun seeing him for himself, though she still wasn't as comfortable with him as she'd once been. It helped that he clearly adored her daughter, although that too had its complications, and Rose frequently worried that Viola was mistaking this man for her father. She could understand why, but Viola was so young and Rose feared it could be hindering her daughter's natural grieving process.

Now though, it was the Doctor who was hurting, and Rose felt all her confusion and hesitation fall away as she stared at the man before her.

"Doctor?" She approached him cautiously.

He continued to look down at his book, but Rose knew perfectly well that he wasn't actually reading it.

"There's nothing any of us could have done," Rose assured him. "It happened too quickly."

He closed the book, all pretense gone and shook his head violently. " The Aurelia Peregrinus were some of the most magnificent creatures in the universe and I killed them." He gave a wry chuckle. "I'm like a plague."

"You are no such thing," Rose said sternly. "Do I need to bring Donna in here to slap some sense into you? Doctor, _emyou/em _didn't do this. There was nothing you could have done."

He shook his head again in disagreement and Rose realized that this was about a lot more than the Aurelia Peregrinus.

An instant later he confirmed her suspicions. "It's my fault, Rose, all of it. I very nearly caused the entirety of the universe to collapse and what's worse, I almost wiped you from existence. And Viola-" he choked on the last word and Rose felt as though her chest might burst. That he cared so much about her daughter meant a lot to her. "And now this… "

Rose stepped closer, her hand outstretched so she could stroke his cheek. He startled as their skin made contact but he quickly relaxed and leaned into her touch, seeking comfort from it. "But you didn't. We're fine now."

The Doctor closed his eyes. "Thanks to you - and Donna." His eyes flew open. "Donna. You fixed her when all I could do was break her. I nearly erased her."

Rose smiled wryly. "I didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident really."

He frowned. "An accident? How do you accidentally restore the memories of someone whose memory was wiped because her body physically couldn't handle it?"

Rose looked away, considering what she should tell him. For a brief moment she thought of not telling him everything, but then she remembered, painfully, how that lack of knowledge had led to her husband's death and she knew she had to tell him. She blinked away the tears that were threatening to surface and turned back to face him. "A few years ago - before Viola - Mum and I were attacked by some Ood."

"Attacked by Ood?" The Doctor exclaimed. "But Ood are peaceful creatures."

Rose nodded. "We found out years later that they were being controlled by Daleks - it's a long story. Anyway, during the attack I was shot. Mum thought I was dead."

The Doctor winced, his eyes darkening.

"That's when the Bad Wolf returned to me."

"The Bad Wolf!" He whispered it, his voice a mixture of awe and concern.

"I was fine." She assured him. "I'm not sure, but I think the Bad Wolf had never really left me - it was just dormant and the blast from the Ood reawakened it. I was able to control it and it didn't hurt - not like before when you -"

He nodded, knowing what she meant without hearing the words.

"After that, things changed - though I didn't understand why until much later. We were able to conceive Viola after years of unsuccessful attempts, and I healed more easily. Eventually I realized that I'm like Jack - I'm aging really slowly, and I can't die. So, when I touched Donna, something happened. I can't really explain it but I know it was the Bad Wolf. It's like -" She paused, searching for the right words. "It's like I somehow gave her a part of the Bad Wolf at the same moment that her memories returned so she'd be able to handle them."

The Doctor stared at her. "You can't die?" he asked softly, as though he didn't quite believe it.

Rose smiled warmly and shook her head. "I can't die," she confirmed. Then she sobered, her smile faltering. "He didn't know." She whispered it so softly that the Doctor had to lean forward to hear her.

"He didn't know about the Bad Wolf?"

Roses eyes prickled and she tried desperately to blink away the tears that threatened to fall. "He didn't know and he tried to save me and now he's dead." On the last word her voice cracked and her tears began to fall. "I lost my husband and Viola lost her father and it's all my fault."

"Oh, Rose," the Doctor said tenderly as he reached out and pulled her into a comforting hug. She immediately buried her face into his shoulder and began to sob in earnest. "Rose, Rose, Rose. It's not your fault."

"But it is!" she cried, her voice muffled by his shoulder and her tears. "If I had told him then he wouldn't have sacrificed himself for me. He'd still be alive. Viola must hate me."

"Of course she doesn't. You're her mother, and she adores you, any fool can see that. And you don't know for sure that knowing it would have changed anything."

"But-"

The Doctor took her by the shoulders and held her away from him so that she could see his face. "Rose, listen to me, it was an accident. Yes, maybe if he'd known he wouldn't have jumped in front of you, but if he loved you like I," he hesitated, "like I knew he did; he would have done it anyway because he wouldn't have been able to bear to see you hurting even if it were only for a moment."

Tears were streaming down her face now. "But he was human! Why would he risk his life if he didn't have to? I should have told him." Suddenly she let out a shrill, bitter laugh causing the Doctor to raise his eyebrow questioningly.

"It's ironic," Rose explained. "His humanity was the reason I didn't tell him - I was afraid he'd do something foolish like try to take the Bad Wolf energy from me again, and I didn't want to lose him. In the end, I lost him anyway. And I robbed Viola of the father she adored."

"Oh, Rose, you did what you thought was right. You can't keep blaming yourself for something you can't change. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love. But you don't have to go through it alone, Rose. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere." The Doctor pulled her into his arms again and she felt him kiss the top of her head. Feeling safe for the first time since arriving back in this universe, Rose finally let go of the carefully bound hold she'd put on her emotions, and allowed herself to well and truly grieve the loss of her husband.


	24. Chapter 23

**Author's Note:**Special thanks once more to **springhaze23** who gave this chapter a once-over and made it much better. Thanks also to **meremoon** for her invaluable feedback. Also a huge thank you to**r****umpelsnorcack** for her constant support and cheerleading. A quick shout out to** earlgreytea68 **for periodically letting me bounce ideas off of her.

**Chapter 23**

Viola noticed the shift almost immediately. It was subtle, but things had definitely changed between her mother and the Doctor.

Viola was still trying to decide how she felt about this. For the nearly three months they'd all been traveling together, Viola had noticed the tension between them. It was unlike the kind of tension Viola used to sense between her parents when they were in a fight. This was more like a hesitance or a fear.

In some ways, the easing of the tension between them made life in the TARDIS much easier. There was more laughter, more traveling for the fun of it. Still, there was something about the way the Doctor looked at her mother sometimes that made Viola nervous.

Donna had caught these moments too, and Viola had noticed an increase in the number of times Donna would whisk her off, leaving her mother and the Doctor alone. At first this worried her, but once she realized that her mother seemed less sad after each of those occurrences, Viola relaxed. Slowly, her mother was healing and she was grateful for whatever the Doctor was doing to help her with that.

Seeing her mother smile more often was a good thing and with every day that passed, the aching in Viola's heart that reminded her of how much she missed her father faded slowly. She knew it would never fade completely, and she still had moments where seeing the Doctor reminded her painfully of the father she'd lost. Sometimes she'd even find herself involuntarily comparing them, but for the most part, managed to reconcile the similarities and differences between them. She tried to take things one day at a time instead of dwelling on the past, or worrying about the future, and as the days passed, her pain slowly began to lessen.

The Doctor also seemed to be coping better. Though he was consciously shielding his mind from her, there had been a few occasions where Viola had caught a glimpse of his thoughts and she'd seen that he was still beating himself up over everything.

One day, about a week before her eighth birthday, when Viola was especially missing her father, she found herself alone in the library with the Doctor.

He seemed to sense that something was bothering her and silently sat down beside her.

"Quit it," Viola said grumpily, moving further into her corner of the sofa.

"Quit what?"

"Thinking at me."

"What? I'm not —"

"You are. You're giving me your 'I know you're upset' look and it's annoying. If you came here to talk to me, just talk, otherwise I'd really just like to be alone."

"You miss him, don't you?" the Doctor asked quietly.

Viola nodded. "I thought it would hurt less, by now, and I was doing better, but … I just, I really wish he was here."

"I know. I wish that about my family every day."

"Yeah, but the Time Lords were boring. Dad told me."

The Doctor laughed. "It's true, they were, but that doesn't mean I loved them any less. Oh sure, there were lots of times I couldn't stand them, but that doesn't mean I wanted them gone forever."

_Forever__. _Violafound herself dwelling on the word. "Does it ever get any easier?" she whispered. "Losing people all the time?"

"I wish I could tell you that it does," the Doctor sighed, "but the honest answer is no, it never gets easier. I've lived for over 900 years and in that time I've met billions of people throughout the universe. I've lost many people that I cared about. I thought I was doing okay, but, after a while it can get to you - the loneliness, the constant goodbyes - it's the curse of the Time Lords, I suppose."

Viola thought about his words carefully. "So why don't you keep running, then? Wouldn't it be easier to just not get close to anyone?"

The Doctor laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "I used to think so. After I said goodbye to your mother and left Donna with her parents I tried that. I cut myself off from others because I thought it would protect me from the pain of loosing them, but, Viola, that backfired. Look at what I ended up doing instead. I became the most dangerous being in the universe. I can't let that happen ever again and one way to stop that is to continue to surround myself with people who will call me on my mistakes, who will share my enjoyment of the universe, and who will grieve with me when things go wrong. I'd lost sight of that for some time and, to be honest, I'm still trying to come to terms with the cost of that mistake."

Viola couldn't help but go back to the question that still bothered her. "But doesn't it scare you? Knowing that one day people around you - the people you care about, will all die?"

"It used to. But then I remembered something. Viola, as Time Lords we've been given an amazing gift."

"What's that?"

"Two hearts."

Viola frowned. "I know a binary vascular system is superior and all, but how is that amazing? It's just biology."

"It's amazing because it means that we have double the capacity to love."

Viola considered this. "But doesn't that also mean we have double the risk of being heartbroken?"

The Doctor nodded. "It does, but we also have double the space to store our love and memories of those people." He touched his chest, his fist over his right heart. "One way I've managed to cope with living for such a very long time is by holding my memories of the people I've come across in here. That's the gift Viola. We can love and we can be broken-hearted and we can miss the people we care about but we will never, ever forget them. In a way, we will love them forever."

"So my dad, he's," Viola placed her fist over one of her hearts, "in here?"

"Always."

"And he won't be mad if I have fun on my birthday without him?"

"Of course he won't. Viola, I never saw him as a father but I _know_ that he loved you very, very much and he would want you to be happy on your birthday, not sad."

"Do you really think so?"

"I'm positive!"

They were quiet for several moments. And then, on a whim, Viola thrust herself forward and engulfed him in a huge, over-enthusiastic hug.

"Thank you," she whispered to the lapel of his jacket. "I feel a lot better now."

"I'm glad." The Doctor smiled down at her as she pulled away and reclaimed her previous stance of sitting on one end of the sofa with her feet tucked beneath her. "Do you have any thoughts on what you'd like to do for your special day? Eight is a pretty big year for a Time Lord."

"It is?" Viola gaped at him. She didn't remember hearing anything significant about turning eight.

"It's the year I got to look into the Time Vortex," the Doctor whispered conspiratorially.

"Really?"

"Yup! It's the reason I wear these," he held up his leg to show off his Converse. "Made me wanna run."

"Will it make me want to run too? I already do a lot of that."

The Doctor laughed. "Oh, don't worry, you don't need to do that. It was just something the higher ups liked to do - claimed it was the way to get a Time Lord to see all of time and space, I think we can accomplish the same thing another way."

Viola shook her head. "No. I want to do it."

He looked at her in surprise. "You do?"

"Yes. Doctor, we're the last of our kind, we can't risk something going wrong and me not having full Time Lord abilities."

He laughed. "You already have full Time Lord abilities."

Viola crossed her arms. "I don't care. I really want to do it."

The Doctor studied her for a moment. "I don't know. I don't think it's a good idea. It's too dangerous."

The glare she gave him made him shudder. "I'm not a baby. I can handle something dangerous."

"Viola, the temporal schism is not something to mess around with. More than one Time Lord child has gone insane when forced to look into it."

"I won't let that happen to me."

"You can't –" He paused at the look of anger and hurt that passed over her face and suddenly he felt utterly helpless. They'd made such progress earlier today, he didn't want to ruin it now with an argument over something as stupid as the schism. He sighed and edged closer to her, touching her arm lightly. "Viola, are you sure this is something you want to do?"

Her expression softened and she nodded enthusiastically, "I'm sure."

"I'm not making any promises, and I still think it's a terrible idea, but I'll think about it."

"But – "

"That's the best you're getting, kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Viola sighed. "Fine." Her eyes locked on his. "But I get to pick what we do on my birthday."

He laughed. "When did you get so wise?"

Viola shrugged. "Dunno, I was just born that way, I guess."

He ruffled her hair and smiled. "I guess so. Anyway, when you decide what you want to do on your birthday just let us know. We're happy to do whatever you like."

Viola nodded. "Okay, I will."

He was about to leave the room when her voice stopped him. "And Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, for earlier."

He smiled. "Anytime, Viola. I'll always be here for you."

_TBC_  
>Author's Note:Wow, only 2 more chapters to go! Remember, if you want to offer up promptssuggestions for future short stories you'd like to see in this verse, you can do so at lorelaisquared (dot) livejournal (dot) com (slash) 107509 (dot) html. 


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The Doctor, Rose, and Donna were gathered in the kitchen on the morning of Viola's eighth birthday, deliberating over what kind of breakfast food to surprise her with, when Viola walked in, a determined smile pursed to her lips.

"I want to look into the Time Vortex," she announced without preamble.

Rose's face went ashen. "Sweetie, we've already discussed this. You can't; it's far too dangerous."

Viola crossed her arms and steadily met her mother's gaze. "I know, but Daddy did it and he turned out just fine. So did he." She thrust her pointer finger in the Doctor's direction.

"That doesn't mean it was the right thing to do." Rose argued.

"I don't care. I want to do it."

Donna stepped forward and knelt down to Viola's level. "Viola, I know you want to do this, but I really don't think you should. None of us knows what could happen. The untempered schism is far too unpredictable."

"So what? Mum looked into the heart of the TARDIS once. That's equally unpredictable. And look at her now. It worked out for the best." She looked pointedly at Donna and then the Doctor. "For all of you."

Rose was starting to look desperate and frightened. The Doctor sighed. This was his fault, he never should have mentioned it to her the other day. He walked over to Viola, determined to fix this. "Viola, we can't let you do it. What my people did to me when I was your age, it was wrong. It worked out fine for me, but there are others, like the Master, who went mad because of it. I'm not letting you take that risk."

Viola's eyes filled with fury. "It's not your choice," she said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the three adults before her. "It's my life, I can do what I want."

It was time for Rose's eyes to darken. "Actually, young lady, I think you'll find that your mother gets a very big say in this. You're my daughter and I'm sorry, but I won't let you do this."

Tears spilled from Viola's eyes. "But Mum, I really want to."

Rose reached out, gently wiping the tears from Viola's cheeks. "I know you do sweetheart, and if it were anything else I'd let you, but this is too dangerous. I love you too much, I can't lose you, too."

At the subtle reference to her father Viola's shoulders sagged and the Doctor could see her desire to fight waning. He could tell she still wanted to see the Vortex, but he also knew that she didn't want to hurt her mother. The constriction he'd felt in his chest since Viola had walked in began to lessen, and he breathed easier.

Donna, sensing a good time to distract everyone, brought up the topic of breakfast and the four of them embarked on an ultimately disastrous attempt at making pancakes with green flour from Gnominity. Through it all Viola put on a convincing pretense of happiness, but the Doctor could see that beneath the surface she was still incredibly disappointed that she hadn't been allowed to look into the untempered schism.

#####

#

Viola sat alone in her room. She'd somehow managed to survive breakfast with everyone but right now she wanted to be by herself. She'd had high hopes for this day, even though she'd known it would be hard not having her dad around for it for the first time ever. In fact, that was the main reason she'd been so determined to look into the untempered schism. She felt like by doing that she'd be closer to her father in some way. It didn't really make sense, she knew, but it was important to her and she'd really thought that her mother and the Doctor would understand.

Tears threatened to fall again as she recalled the scene in the kitchen. It just wasn't fair. She wasn't a baby anymore; she knew what she was doing. Her anger returned and Viola suddenly felt like screaming. She flung herself on the bed and, burying her face in her pillow, let out an ear-piercing scream.

Feeling a lot better, Viola sat up, folded her knees to her chest and leaned against the wall as she mulled an idea around. What if she looked into the schism on her own, without their help? It was risky, she knew, and she'd get in a lot of trouble if she was caught, but she was pretty sure she knew where to access the Vortex. If she did it quickly, no one would even have to know. She thought of her mum's disapproval earlier and a tiny bit of guilt crept in. She didn't want to hurt her mum, but this was important, and it was a risk she had to take.

Suddenly exhilarated from the adrenaline rush, Viola quickly devised a plan in her head and crept out into the hallway. She could hear all three adults in the console room, so she knew the coast was clear. As quietly as she could, Viola made her way through the maze of corridors to one at the very back where she thought the access point to the untempered schism was hidden.

She hesitated for a moment outside the door as doubts began to surface. Should she really do this?

The sound of someone was calling her name spurred her back into action and, shoving the doubts aside, Viola pulled out her sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the door. It took several attempts, but she managed to find the right frequency and pull open the door just as the sound of running footsteps descended upon her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard the Doctor shouting, "Viola, stop!" but she tuned him out, her entire being focused on the whirl of energy that swirled before her.

She had a moment to marvel at its beauty before the pain came, vicious and searing. Suddenly her brain was filled with blinding images, thousands of years worth of suffering, pain, and sorrow. All the bad things that had ever happened or ever could happen flooded her consciousness and Viola stumbled backward, gasping. It stopped and she experienced a short reprieve before another wave of images came. She braced herself for the pain, but this time it didn't hurt and what she saw was happiness mixed with so much knowledge and so much history. It was overwhelming, and by the time she managed to pull her gaze away from the untempered schism long enough for the Doctor to heft the door shut, she was exhausted.

She blinked, trying to make sense of the confusion of knowledge that was still in her mind. As her vision cleared, she saw her mother standing in the corridor, her face pale and her eyes anxious. Instantly Viola felt her guilt return. She'd hurt her mother. That was the last thing she'd wanted. But she was okay. It was going to be all right.

"I'm sorry," Viola whispered, taking a step toward her before her knees sagged and she collapsed to the floor.

#####

#

Rose paced around Viola's bedside, alternating between casting anxious glances at her daughter and glaring at the Doctor. A part of her knew it wasn't his fault - Viola was a determined and strong-willed child after all - but another part of her couldn't help blaming him just a little. Shouldn't he have been able to sense what Viola was up to and stop her? Besides, she knew he _emhad/em _been the one to plant the idea in her head in the first place.

Sighing, Rose focused her full attention on her daughter. Seeing Viola laying on the bed so motionlessly reminded her of another time, three years earlier, when she'd held a similar vigil over her lifeless daughter's bed. The difference was that time she'd had her husband by her side. She choked back a small sob, suddenly missing him terribly. She remembered how they'd stood together, terrified that they'd lost their daughter for good. Thankfully, Viola had regenerated and come out of the whole ordeal just as bright and cheerful as ever. Rose could only that this incident would have a similar outcome, though she hoped another regeneration wasn't necessary.

There was a soft knock on the door and Donna slipped into the room. Rose acknowledged her with a brief nod then turned back to Viola. Donna came to stand by her side, placing a comforting hand on her back.

"She'll be okay." Donna whispered insistently. "That's one hardy and resilient child you've got there. A gutsy one too. She just overwhelmed herself, is all. A little rest and she should be back to normal, talking circles around all of us."

"You really think so?" Rose asked doubtfully.

"Oh, I know so." She winked. "Look."

Rose followed Donna's gaze and her eyes widened. Viola was sitting up, wide awake and smiling at them.

"Viola!" Rose cried happily, surging forward enthusiastically, her heart thumping with immense relief. She hugged Viola tightly, not wanting to let go.

Viola began to squirm in her embrace and Rose was forced to pull away.

"You're okay?"

Her daughter grinned. "'Course I am. Nothing a little sleep couldn't fix. Oh, Mum, it's amazing. If only you could see the things I see."

Rose studied Viola carefully. Vaguely she was aware of the Doctor and Donna standing beside her and doing the same. "You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." Viola insisted, climbing out of bed and walking around the end of the bed. "See? Not even a wobble."

Rose rolled her bottom lip between her teeth as she tried to decide whether she was relieved or angry. "I'm glad," she said finally. Then, after a measured pause her eyes narrowed and she said, in her sternest 'mum voice'. "You're grounded."

"What?" Viola glared at her mum. "But groundings are for human children, I'm a Time Lord."

"That may be so, but you are also my daughter and you directly disobeyed me."

"Because you were being unreasonable," Viola argued.

"Unreasonable? I was trying to keep you safe! You could have been killed."

"But I wasn't."

"That's not the point."

Viola placed her hands on her hips. "What is the point then?"

"The point is that human or Time Lord, I'm your mother, and you are grounded."

"That is so unfair." She looked over to the Doctor who had edged his way to the door with Donna. "Doctor, please tell Mum how unreasonable she's being."

He shook his head vigorously. "I'm staying out of this one. Come on, Donna, I want to show you that thing."

"What thing?" Donna asked.

"You know, that thingamajig that does that thingamawhatsit?"

Donna seemed to catch on. "Oh, that. Yes, we'd better go look at it right away."

With that, they made a hasty exit leaving Rose to deal with her fuming daughter.

#####


	26. Chapter 25

Shakespeareverse

**Author's Note:** Well, here we are, at the FINAL chapter of "Where are you Roaming?" I can't quite believe we've reached this point already. I'd like to offer an extra special thank you to everyone who's been reading this for all your lovely comments and support. Thank you also to those of you who are reading this but haven't said anything. You are all the reason I do this! **Make sure you read the Author's Note at the end of the chapter for information on what's next for Shakespeareverse! **

I would like to take a moment now to also thank **meremoon** and **springhaze23** for their betaing skills that have helped immensely in this story. You can all thank **springhaze23** for the extra 1500 words that I added to this chapter earlier this week as it was at her urging that I did so. Okay, enough babbling, you don't want to listen to me, you want to read the final chapter. Enjoy! :)

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Chapter 25

Viola fought and raged against her grounding in the days after her 8th birthday, but nothing she said or did would change her mother's mind. She tried appealing to the Doctor and Donna, hoping to get them on her side as allies against her mother, but they were both extremely unhelpful. Even the TARDIS was no help to her. In fact it was the opposite of helpful, hiding her bedroom door and refusing to let her leave until her mother said it was okay.

Her grounding lasted two miserable weeks, during which she was only allowed out of her room to eat meals and choose new books from the library. Viola couldn't remember ever being so unhappy, and she spent the first few days sulking about it. It didn't help that she'd had a persistent headache since she'd looked into the Untempered Schism and she was starting to think maybe she'd made a mistake by looking into it.

By the fourth day of her punishment, Viola's headache had reached the point where she couldn't bear to keep her eyes open, and for the first time she was actually grateful to be trapped in her room. Grabbing a stuffed elephant from the top of her bookshelf, she crawled into her bed and curled into a ball, hugging it to her chest as she blinked back tears and tried to will the pain away.

She was vaguely aware of someone entering her room a few minutes later and wasn't surprised when she opened her eyes to see the Doctor sitting gingerly on the foot of her bed, watching her with a look of extreme concern on his face.

"Go away," she muttered half-heartedly.

"I can't do that," he said softly. "Look, Viola, I know you're mad at all of us right now and you think that this is unfair, but what you did, it was wrong and it was dangerous. You could have been hurt and I— your mother wouldn't have been able to bear that."

"I know," she whispered, touched that he cared so much about her. "I'm sorry, I really didn't want to worry any of you, it's just that… well, I thought maybe if I looked into the vortex I'd feel closer to my Dad." Silent tears streamed down her face, "I miss him so much."

"I know you do." The Doctor surprised her then by scooping her up and gathering her into his arms the way her father used to. For the first time in a long time she felt safe and protected and as she buried her face against his chest she started to sob.

The Doctor held her, rocking gently as the torrent of emotions she'd been clinging to flooded out of her. When she was finally calm again, she looked up at him, trying not to cringe as the throbbing in her skull increased with the motion. "Thank you," she managed to whisper.

He ignored her gratitude and studied her carefully. "How long have you been in pain?"

"I haven't –" the lie died on her lips as he gave her a knowing look and she sighed. "It started when I looked into the Vortex, but it's getting worse. I was shielding it so you wouldn't be able to feel it, so how did you know?"

"It's difficult to keep shields in place when you're in pain. I felt it, just before I came in here. In fact, that's why I came."

"Does Mum know?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, I didn't want to worry her." He gave her a quick hug then stood, perching Viola on the edge of the bed as he dug in his pocket and pulled out the sonic. "Okay, let's see exactly what's going on."

As he scanned her, she could feel a gentle vibration and the pain worsened causing her to cry out in pain. Immediately, the Doctor switched off the sonic and came to her, gently laying her back down on the bed.

"Your mind is working hard, trying to process all the information you've taken in. That's what's making your head hurt."

"Can I do anything to make it stop?"

The Doctor bit his bottom lip, thinking. "Well, your brain isn't used to having so much information all at once. It's like it's a computer being forced to process like 1000 different tasks all at the same time. Only in this case, it's trying to process everything you've just learned about the past, present and future and it's overloading."

"So what do I do?"

"We need to train your brain to store the information properly so you can access it when you need to. I'll help you. But the first thing you need to do is relax so that your brain can do the first part itself— that should help with the headache."

By the time the Doctor left her room half an hour later, Viola's head was no longer pounding and the barrage of information she'd been assaulted with for several days was starting to make sense. During the rest of her 2 week grounding, the Doctor came to work with Viola every afternoon and soon she was able to access any detail she wanted at will without feeling any pain at all.

When her punishment was over and she was finally allowed free reign again, the first thing she did was hug her mother and apologise. For which she was rewarded with a massive smile, a hug and a cup of tea.

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Days and months slipped by and before she knew it, Donna realized that an entire year had passed since she'd rejoined the Doctor, Rose and Viola on the TARDIS. She was having the time of her life and though she missed Granddad and her mum, she saw them often enough that she was happy. Viola had eventually forgiven her mother for punishing her, though Donna noticed that Rose still seemed nervous whenever her daughter went off on her own.

Although she had initially given him a hard time after the incident with the Vortex, Rose seemed to be getting along with the Doctor amazingly well again, and Donna was thrilled to see them growing closer as they both started to heal from their pasts and look toward a future. It was obvious that Rose still had bouts of guilt and confusion, but they were lessening, and Donna was beginning to suspect that she was nearly ready to open up her heart again. The Doctor also seemed to have his own reasons to hold back, and Donna was growing frustrated watching him yo-yo from hot to cold with Rose.

Finally, one afternoon, things reached a breaking point. The four residents of the TARDIS were in the kitchen baking cupcakes, each of them with a specific job. Rose mixed and poured the batter, Donna put the trays in the oven and took them out when they were done, the Doctor iced them, and Viola decorated them with edible ball bearings. After placing the final batch into the oven and setting the timer, Donna leaned against the counter and watched as Rose sat at the table next to the Doctor - extremely close to the Doctor, she noted.

"You're doing it wrong," Rose told the Doctor teasingly.

"I'm not," he insisted sulkily while trying to salvage the icing that was dripping down the sides of the cupcake in his hands.

Rose leaned across him to reach for the knife and the prickle of tension that filled the room gave Donna goose pimples. She watched in fascination as their eyes met and a spark passed between them.

Donna cast a quick glance in Viola's direction and was relieved to see that she was continuing to place ball bearings in intricate patterns atop each iced cupcake. She was concentrating so intently that it seemed she was complete oblivious to the events occurring across the table, a fact that Donna was thankful for.

Satisfied that Viola was fine, Donna shifted her attention back to the Doctor and Rose. They were still staring at each other silently. Rose swallowed audibly and, after taking a deep breath, started to swirl the knife over the mountain of icing on the cupcake that was still in the Doctor's hand.

In a voice shaking with unspent emotion, Rose said, "Here, like this," and demonstrated how to spread the sticky confection smoothly over the surface of the cake. She brushed her hair out of her eyes, unknowingly leaving a smear of icing across her nose before offering the knife back to the Doctor.

"Here, now you try."

Instead of taking the knife, the Doctor stared at her and Donna felt her heart dance at the intensity of his gaze. Maybe he was finally going to make a move and end this crazy yo-yoing once and for all.

Donna held her breath as the Doctor leaned forward and used his thumb to wipe the icing from Rose's nose. Their eyes met again, and Rose inched her face a little closer to his as he offered her his thumb to lick. She complied and when she was finished their lips were nearly touching.

Then, just when Donna was certain that he was finally going to get over himself and kiss Rose, the timer dinged and all three adults jumped.

The Doctor leaped up from the table, looking panicked as he seemed to become aware of what had almost happened. Donna sighed heavily as she saw him cast a guilty glance in Rose's direction then flee from the room.

"Bloody timer," Donna muttered, picking up the oven mitts and pulling the now-offensive cupcakes out of the oven.

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By the time the remaining cupcakes were decorated Donna had decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. As soon as she could, she marched into the library where she knew he was hiding.

"Listen, spaceman, this has got to stop," she told him, her hands on her hips as she glowered down on him.

He crumpled his nose, lips and brow in confusion. "What?"

"This tap dancing around Rose."

He looked down at his book nonchalantly and pretended to read. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Donna huffed and snatched the Dickens novel out of his hand. "That's not going to work with me, Doctor. Not anymore."

"Careful with that, it's a first edition!" the Doctor yelped.

Donna set the book carefully on the desk and turned back to the Doctor, folding her arms across her chest. "Now why don't you tell me why you keep pulling away from Rose every time the two of you get remotely close?"

"Donna, I don't have time for this right now." He tried to push past her but she placed a hand on his chest and shoved him back into his chair.

"You do have time, and you're going to sit there and listen to what I have to say."

"But—"

"Doctor, you love her, don't you?"

The question flustered him and he tried to avoid her gaze. "Donna, I really don't think this is… but really I… well it's just that…" he fumbled, tapping his fingers nervously on his other hand as he twitched in his seat.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Oh, ask him to calculate the phase variance of an integrated hemo-static thruster in the meso-temporal layer of the Vortex and he'll give you an answer in a matter of seconds, but a simple 'yes' or 'no' question has him blathering like a nincompoop. Just answer me. Do you love Rose?"

He sighed and looked her directly in the eyes. "Do you even have to ask?"

"Then why do you keep pushing her away?"

"I'm not —"

Donna gave him a pointed look.

"It's complicated, Donna."

"Only because you make it complicated."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that it's time you stopped punishing yourself for every little thing you've ever done wrong in the past, and allowed yourself the chance to be happy."

"Oh, Donna, it's just not that easy." He scrubbed his hands over his eyes, stalling for time. When Donna didn't say anything else he continued. "The things I've done; they're not little. When I muck up, it's on an epic scale. How can I ask Rose - how could I ask anyone to trust me after what I nearly did to her and Viola?"

She jabbed him in the chest with a finger. "Because you're never going to do anything like that again."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're not that stupid."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Well, okay, you _were_ that stupid, but things were different then. There were external factors. Besides, I won't let you. And neither will Rose, or Viola, or Jack."

"You didn't stop me before."

"That's because you were an idiot and cut yourself off from everyone who ever cared about you. And I know you're not going to do that again. I've told you before, Doctor, sometimes you need someone to stop you. You proved me right. But now you've got that. You just need to trust it, learn to trust yourself again."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked up at the ceiling "Oh Donna, I don't know."

"Why not?" Donna demanded. "You just admitted that you love her."

"Yes, but Donna, you're forgetting - she was _married_, to a man who was my double. She loved him and they had a child together."

"So?"

He looked away and shuffled his feet restlessly. "It's just… never mind, it's stupid."

"Tell me anyway."

"Were you always this big of a pain in th-"

"Yes. Now tell me."

For a second it looked as though he was contemplating trying to run past her again, but after a moment he relaxed and sighed. "I'm worried that she'd only be interested in me because I look like her husband."

Donna slapped him across the cheek so hard that it startled her as much as it startled him.

"Ow!"

"I'm sorry, but you're being an idiot again. She loved you _embefore/em_ she loved your double. Besides, didn't you once tell her you were the same person? Sure, it's going to take a while for her to sort out her emotions but I'm pretty certain that she loves you for you."

A tiny flicker of hope twinkled in his eye. "You think so?"

"Only one way to know for sure," Donna said coyly, a small smile pursing the corners of her lips.

"And what's that?"

"Make her fall in love with you all over again."

"And how exactly do I do that?"

Donna sighed. He really was daft sometimes. "Take her out on a date."

"A date?" he scoffed, interrupting.

"It doesn't matter what you call it," she hissed in frustration. "Just show her how you feel about her, and remind her of all the things she loved about you in the first place."

"Do you really think that would work?"

"There's only one way to find out for sure."

"What's that?"

"Ask."

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Several days later, Rose was just rousing from a lovely afternoon nap when she heard the light tap on her door. Yawning, she languidly stretched her arms and legs and, after making sure she was decent, called for the visitor to enter.

Surprised to see the Doctor poke his head through door and step inside, Rose blushed and struggled to a sitting position, pulling the duvet more tightly around her sleep clothes.

"Oh, did I wake you?" the Doctor asked, his eyes shifting randomly around the room as though he were trying to look anywhere but at her.

"No, I was just getting up. You have perfect timing."

He finally met her gaze and she smiled at him.

"Oh, good." He looked away again and Rose was almost certain she saw a flush of pink rising on his cheeks. Was he blushing? She didn't think she'd ever seen him embarrassed before.

"Is something wrong? Is it Viola?" Rose asked as she reached for her robe, wrapping it tightly around herself before climbing out of the bed.

The Doctor flicked his eyes toward her, swallowed visibly and quickly looked away. "No, no, nothing is wrong. Everything's just fine actually. Viola and Donna are plotting some kind of adventure involving glitter or sparkles or something, I wasn't really paying attention… I uhhh…" He put his hands in the back pockets of his trousers and rode back on his heels. "I was wondering… I mean… well… I had a question."

Rose looked at him quizzically. It wasn't like him to be this uncertain about anything. He was usually the perfect picture of confidence. What was going on? "Okay, well go ahead. What did you want to know?"

The Doctor didn't answer, he was too busy staring at her. Rose followed his gaze and noticed her robe was gaping. She quickly tied it more tightly around her. At the movement, the Doctor looked away again.

"Why don't I just get dressed and then you can ask me whatever it is you came here for?"

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Good idea. Meet you in the library?"

Rose smiled. "Sure, I'll be there in about five minutes."

After the Doctor shuffled from the room, Rose frowned speculatively at the space where he'd been standing. His behaviour was odd, even for him. It was unsettling seeing him this uncertain and hesitant.

As she contemplated her wardrobe options, she wondered what could have possibly got into him. Her favourite pink jumper caught her eye and, as she pulled it on, she remembered the way the Doctor had looked at her when her robe had slipped. Is that why he'd been blushing? Fleetingly, she wondered if it had anything to do with their almost-kiss in the kitchen the other day.

The thought sent a sudden flurry of butterflies soaring through her stomach and, feeling bold, Rose pulled off the jumper and looked for her favourite short green wrap dress instead. It had been one of her favorites to wear for a night out with her husband. The dress tied around her waist, leaving a perfect v down her collarbone. The skirt ended just above her knees, making her legs look long and slim. She completed the outfit with a simple pair of black pumps and took a little more time than usual styling her hair.

Satisfied, Rose cast one last glance at herself in the mirror, took a deep breath and made her way to the library.

She felt the Doctor's eyes on her the instant she entered the room and the sensation caused her chest to tighten and her heart to thud deafeningly. Could he hear it, she wondered?

Their eyes met and the heat in his gaze made her entire body start to tingle. What was going on? And what was it about him that was suddenly making her act and feel like a hormone-ridden teenager?

The Doctor started to speak but the sound that came out was garbled. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Rose, you look stunning."

She felt her cheeks grow hot. "Thank you." She took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. "You wanted to ask me something?"

"Oh, yes, um…" he shuffled his feet and looked down at the ground.

"Just spit it out already!" Donna called from the other room.

They both jumped at the unexpected sound then began to laugh. Their laughter eased the tension between them and by the time they were both calm again, the Doctor seemed more relaxed.

"Have you ever heard of privacy?" the Doctor called to Donna.

"Well, if you'd stop dilly dallying, and just did what we talked about, I wouldn't have to resort to eavesdropping." Donna popped her head into the room. "Hi, Rose." She winked at her then grabbed the door handle. "Also, Doctor, next time, it might help if you closed the door." She pulled the door shut and her laughter rang through the TARDIS as she walked back to the control room.

"Sorry about that," the Doctor said softly taking a few steps toward Rose. "Donna never seems to know when to keep her nose out."

"She means well," Rose insisted, her eyes locked on his.

"I know she does, but this is hard enough already." He took another step.

"What is?" Rose whispered, moving closer to him, having a fair idea what this was about.

The Doctor stopped about a foot away from her. He was so close she could see his Adam's apple move as he swallowed, could hear the sharp intake of breath as he prepared to speak.

"?" he finally said in one quick, gasping breath.

She blinked. "What? I didn't quite catch that."

He nodded, took another deep breath and reached for her hands. "Rose," he said more slowly. "Will you go on an adventure with me tonight?"

She frowned, trying to hide her disappointment. She'd clearly read more into his actions than what was actually there. "I guess. I mean, if you think it's not too soon after our adventure today."

His eyes widened slightly and worry shone through his enlarged pupils. "Oh, um…" He scuffed his toe against the floor. "Actually, I didn't mean that sort of adventure. I was thinking of something more private, where it's just us, and less running. Maybe something involving a meal and perhaps even some," he swallowed nervously, "dancing."

The final word was spoken so softly that Rose had to strain to hear him. Dancing? What was he… Suddenly, it all clicked into place and she gaped at him, stunned. "Doctor, is this your way of asking me out on a… a date?" she asked incredulously.

"If you want to use a term that belongs to Earth in the 20th and 21st centuries… Personally I prefer to - " His cheeks flushed as he spoke and Rose finally put him out of his misery by pressing her finger over his lips, effectively shushing him.

"Doctor, it doesn't matter what we call it." Their eyes locked and Rose pulled her hand away. Suddenly her heart was beating a lot more rapidly.

There was silence for a long moment while they stared at each other. Finally the Doctor started to shuffle his feet restlessly. "Ummm, so…"

"So?"

"You never gave me an answer."

Rose kicked herself mentally. He was right, she hadn't. "Oh! I'm sorry."

His face fell and she realized that he'd thought her apology was a negative answer. Quickly she closed the distance between them again and gently touched his cheek, forcing him to look directly at her.

"Yes, Doctor. I would love to go on an adventure with you."

_FIN_

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_**Authors Note**__: _This is NOT really the end because I have much more planned for Shakespeareverse. In fact, I am going to try to continue posting something ShakespeareVerse related every Friday. For the time being, these will mostly be short stories, either one shots - or 2-3 chapters, but there's another long story in the works as well. I'm planning to write the third, long instalment in this universe during NaNo this November so you can expect that to be appearing on your Flists probably in January. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, all stories posted to this universe will be tagged series: shakespeareverse.

I'm still accepting prompt ideas for future Shakespeareverse shorts on Live Journal, but I will accept prompts in the comments or by PM here at as well. Here are the guidelines:

I'd like to give you an opportunity to have some input into what short stories you might like to see within this 'verse'.

Your prompts can be anything - missing scenes, expanded scenes, further adventures, canon tie-ins/rewrites, alternate POV's, higher rated scenes... etc. There are no guarantees I'll write the story, but here's your chance to give me ideas I'd never have otherwise! You can leave as many prompts as you like. There are no limits!

Happy brainstorming! I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

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